His Other Lover
by bjrcarebear
Summary: Jemma is a dancing prodigy, and a tragic orphan. Every night her feet are onstage, her heart is out in the crowd, wishing that for just a moment she could see her parents there, smiling and proud. But she knows this will never happen and instead it is the Phantom of the Opera that she starts to see watching her from behind the curtains.
1. His Other Lover

His Other Lover

Prolog

Young Jemma is a ballet dancer at the grand Opera house in Paris. With both parents dead, she was shipped to Paris to live in the Opera Popular with her aunt. She is not allowed to address her as aunt, no, she called her Madame Giry just like the rest of the pretty little dancers and actors and actresses.

Day in and day out she is forced to practice the graceful art of dancing along side her cousin Meg. Every day was the same for her. Twirl here, step there. It wore her out completely.

Besides, her true passion isn't dancing. Before she went to sleep each night, she didn't dream of being the star of the show. That never crossed her mind. Not even once.

She only ever wished for one thing. The same thing each and every night. Though she knew it would never happen, she wished that one day while on stage dancing, she could look into the large crowd and see her parents. Each sitting in a red velvet chair, proud to see their once little girl all grown up and dancing.

Yet thinking of her mother and father helps her feel just a hair closer to them, the image quickly fades into darkness and she is left with an emptiness in her soul. So as the moon introduces the bright stars, Jemma shuts her 19 year old eyes and tries to have a peaceful night of sleep with out any worries of what the next day might have in store for her.

All night thoughts crash together in head like great big waves as she sleeps. Thoughts of her life before dance or hopes that she won't mess up in the next show. All thoughts of dance. One thing that had nothing to do with dance, let alone her self was O.G. The Opera Ghost him self.

Somehow he would manage to sneak into her mind each night. She had only heard of him for the past 9 years, but for some reason she wished that she could do more that hear the rumors of him.

Her curious mind leads her to wonder if the rumors are true and if there is a way that she could find out for sure. Every once in a while, the strangest thought would pop into her mind. What if she were to find him? Would she follow him? Would she go to his lair and spy on him? Until the time comes, if the time comes, she won't know. She will just have to keep wondering.


	2. Chapter 1- Box 5

Chapter 1

"Jemma." Meg whisper shouted in my ear. I forced my eyes open to see my beautiful blonde cousin hovering above me.

"May I help you Meg?" I asked with a giggle and a slight smile.

Meg put a finger to her lips to hush me. "Shhh." she said to me. "I don't want to wake any of the other girls!" Meg smiled a bit and tugged on my arm.

"I'm coming I'm coming." I said. I slowly but surely got out of bed. I walked to a small burro and pulled out an egg shell white tutu and a lilac colored corset like shirt. One thing that me and Meg share is our favorite color. Lilac.

"Are you nuts Jem? It's really chilly outside. Put on your tights!" Meg whispered jokingly. She held up a pair of pure white tights.

"All right all right." I said. I slipped off my pink night gown and pulled on the tights first, then the shirt, and then my tutu. I grabbed an old brown brush and ran it through my messy brown hair. I set the brush down and then reached for my pink ballet shoes at the end of the cot. I put them on and then stood up.

"I'm all dressed and ready to go." I whispered to Meg. She nodded her head and tip toed passed all of the dancing girls. I followed right behind her.

We looked around to make sure that no one saw us or that no one was awake. When we were sure that the coast was clear, we walked down the winding stair case, trying our best not to make the wood creak under our foot steps.

When we reached the ground, we snuck passed all of the props and we found our way to the stage. "Are you sure you want to do this again? I mean, we do this every day and we have yet to see anything."

Meg just gives me an odd look. "What did I say Jemma? He will come one day. I just know it!" Meg sounded so confident so I just let out a sigh and followed my cousin.

We walked up many more steps before we were standing right in front of our destination. Box 5. Each and every day, Meg drags me up here in hopes of spying the Phantom of the Opera. She is so obsessed with this guy! I don't even know why.

I think that she is a little to crazed over him though. Before we started to come up here, I paid no attention to the rumors of the Opera Ghost. Now, now it is as if Meg has etched is name into my brain.

"Sit." Meg instructed of me. I sat in my normal seat. The one on the right. Meg likes to sit in the one on the left.

"So…how's life?" Meg asked me. I could tell that she was trying to start a conversation with me, but she wasn't doing a good job at it.

"You know, you really need to work on starting conversations because no offence, but you kind of stink at it." Meg let out a fake sigh.

"I know. My mind is more focused on dancing than things like 'starting a conversation." She had a point. Conversation starters aren't the most important thing in the world.

"And what about you missy? I know you better than you think I do. I know that you don't love dancing like I do." Meg knows me too well. "So what do you love to do?"

"Sing." I said to my friend. She just nodded her head. "Let me hear you sing then." Meg said. I was shocked. She wanted to hear ME sing. "Well you see I don't sing in front of people and I am nothing compared to Christine and-" I was cut off.

"Do you really think I care if you are better that Christine or net. You could be as bad as Carlotta and I wouldn't care. I'm you're friend and you're cousin. I don't judge you."

Meg's little speech warmed my heart and made me smile. "What do you want to hear?" I asked. I saw that Meg was happy that I decided to sing for her and that made me happy.

"Think of me." Meg said. "From Hannibal" Meg smiled every time she heard that song. Her nutmeg eyes would always light up when Christine sang it.

"All right. I will try my best." I said. I opened my mouth and words started to spill out of my mouth.

"_Think of me _

_Think of me fondly, When we've said goodbye. Remember me _

_Once in a while Please promise me you'll try. When you find _

_That once again you long To take your heart back and be free If you ever find a moment, Spare a thought for me"_

I finished up the song before I knew it. I didn't even realize it, but my eyes had shut while I was singing. When I opened my eyes, I saw that Meg's hands were clasped together and a smile had grown onto her face.

"So what did you think?" I asked sheepishly. "JEMMA!" Meg shouted. I jumped to her and put my hand over her mouth. Meg is a small girl, but she can be loud when she wants to be.

I moved my hands down to her shoulders so that she could speak. "It was simply beautiful. Like sweet honey pouring out of your mouth." I smiled a great big smile and I could feel a blush creep on to my cheeks.

"Thanks." is all I had time to say. I looked up at the chandelier and saw that someone had started to turn the lights on. Someone was here!

"Quick! Get down!" I whisper yelled at Meg. We ducked and started to run out of box 5. We bade it down the steps just in time. We rushed behind the stage so that when Madame Giry came in, we could just say that we decided to get up early and practice early. This way we would be ready for tonight's production of Hannibal.

As soon as we were back stage, we collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion. "We really need to start watching out time." I said. Meg nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm so nervous!" Meg exclaimed. I tilted my head in confusion. "The show Jem, the show! I heard from my mother that the someone special will be attending tonight's performance."

"Well do you know who it is?" I asked out of curiosity. Meg shook her head, causing her beautiful locks to bob up and down. "I wonder." I said. "We should probably go get changed into our costumes." I suggested.

We stood up, well rested and went up a flight of stairs and into a room with costumes. I quickly put mine on and was already about to go back down stairs, but Meg was not even holding her costume. She was caught up in a conversation with Christine. "Meet you down stairs!" I said. Meg waved me off and I ran back

down to the stage where I stood alone.

I looked up to box 5 and thoughts swarmed my brain. Will I ever see the Phantom? In a way I hope so. It would be really cool. I wonder if he is nice once you get to know him. Ugh! I held my hands to my head as if trying to stop the fluttering thoughts.

Luckily Madame Giry came in and my train of thought was lost. "Jemma? What are you doing here so early?" my aunt asked me.

"Just thought I would come down early and…you know, practice." I said. I am a great liar.

"Ah, I see. Are you practicing by gazing at box 5?" Madame Giry asked me. Ok so maybe I'm not a GREAT liar.

"Ah-" I had no words. "You are wondering about the Phantom aren't you?" I nodded my head.

"Well, we have no time for wondering right now. Right now we must rehearse. Come along now." I followed after Madame Giry as she walked away to meet a few other girls.

With everyone busy in the Opera House now, I just danced until my feet hurt. Every chance I got, I would lean over to talk to my other dancing friend Isabella, or Isa for short. She is really a beautiful girl who could get any guy if she wanted to. She is also a good singer, but I am the only one who knows that.

Unlike Meg and every other girl, she is not obsessed with the Phantom. She just focuses on her dancing. That is what I love about her. Most of the time I talk to Meg because Meg's cot is right next to mine. But we are still great friends.

As we continue to rehearse, time feels as if it is moving really fast. I really don't like dancing, and especially not in front of a crowd. The best thing about rehearsal today was that we got to meet the patron and the new managers. Oh, and Carlotta dropped out so Christine is the lead role! I'm so proud of her!

##########Show time#########

Ugh! 5 minutes until I'm on. I hope I do well!

#########After the show######

Well, I didn't fall! The lights were really bright though. But hey, it's over and I am not on stage. And better yet, Christine is with Roul hanging out in her dressing room catching up.

My plans for the night are just to get changed and- well I don't know yet. I kind of suck at planning. So I just took my time getting changed back into my clothes from this morning. When I was done changing, I walked back to the stage. People were still cleaning up so I just watched and waited since I had nothing better to do with my night.

When they were finally done and the room was clear, I looked up at box 5, then I looked around the vast room. No one was in sight. I walked up to box 5 and sat in my usual seat. I stared out into the emptiness and opened my mouth.

Before I knew it I was singing 'Think of me'. It was strange singing in such a great big room. When the song was over, I felt good inside. A warm fuzzy feeling was taking over my body and I realized it was tiredness. I don't want to get up though. The seat is oh so comfy.

Would it really kill anyone if I stayed a little while longer?

#########A few hours later########

I opened my eyes with the realization that I had fallen asleep. I picked up my things and stood up, ready to leave. While I stood gazing at the beautiful room, I heard the most scariest thing.

"Who are you?!" A voice boomed from some where. "And why are you still in my theater!?" The voice sounded close. "And more importantly, in my seat!"

I turned around and saw a black and white face. No, it can't be. Is it? It is. The Phantom of the Opera! I swear I had a heart attack at that moment.

I dropped my things and stared at him in awe. "WELL!?" he yelled again and this time I was very scared. So scared that I lost my balance. I felt my body tip over the side of the box and panic rushed through my mind.

"AHHHHH!" I let out a shrill scream as I fell off of the balcony. I thought that this would be my last day on earth. I was thinking the worse. Luckily I grabbed onto the side of the balcony . I have no upper body strength though, so I don't see what good holding on will do. And obviously the Phantom won't save me. He

probably wants me dead.

The thing my body decided to do at this moment was terrible. My fingers began to slip and I started to fall. I let my eyes shut so that I wouldn't have to see how I died. Then, the strangest thing happened. I heard a rustle and then I felt a warm hand on my arm.

It couldn't be. Was the Phantom saving me? I felt myself being hoisted up back onto the balcony . When I was back on my feet, I realized I was eye to…chin with the Phantom. I looked up and saw a mask covering the right side of a man's face.

I didn't have words. I couldn't speak. My knees felt weak. I was still trying to take this all in and my mind was racing at super speed. The last thing I remember was falling onto the ground and being picked up by this guy. I guess I fainted after that. Now, now I'm in what I think is the Phantom's lair.


	3. Chapter 2- Waking Up to the Phantom

I opened my eyes and looked around. I couldn't see much since a black veil was blocking my view. I reached out for a fancy looking rope. I wrapped my fingers around it and gave it a tug. The veil rose from the ground and I was able to stand up.

I was now able to see everything thanks to the candle light. Within the dim glow, I saw a swan shaped bed of which I was just resting in. Around the beautiful bed, I saw a few small figures. One that really stood out to me was a small monkey resting atop a music box.

In it's hands was a set of brass symbols. The monkey itself was draped in red cloth made into a Persian outfit. It was beautiful!

I stared at it a few seconds longer, just admiring the little monkey when I noticed a small crank. I reached out for it with my frail fingers and twisted it. Just like the figure, the song it sang was beautiful .I never wanted it to end.

When it came to an end, I felt a small rush of sadness flood my body. I shook it away though and walked along. I walked down a rocky little path which would have hurt my feet, but I still had on my ballet slippers. When I stopped walking, I was standing at the foot of an angelic clearing.

It was even more alluring than the room I was just in. It took my breath away. Candles lit up the area. Bright orange sparks seemed as if they were bouncing off of each wall and rock. I looked around with wide eyes, drinking in all of the wonderful details of this secret place.

I scanned the exterior or the room, and when I looked down, my jaw dropped in awe at a sublime little lake. I stared in awe of the magnificent glassy lake. I finally unlatched my eyes from the graceful lake and looked elsewhere.

My body shifted to where a great source of light was coming from. A grand organ surrounded my many different candles. I walked over to the large instrument and ran my fingers along the white keys while gleaming at the organ's surroundings.

One specific thing that caught my eye was a model of the stage in the Opera house. One the stage stood a mini figure of Christine! She was wearing the same pretty pink dress that she had worn just earlier tonight. The dress that I longed to wear and I am sure Carlotta would kill to have it to. The model was a bit creepy, but the detail of it was a true wonder!

Pulling my attention away from the model was once again the organ. A little voice inside of my head told me to sit down and play it. I decided it wouldn't kill anyone to listen to that voice, so I took a seat at a wooden bench. I set my fingers on the keys and looked at the sheet of paper in front of my face. On the paper were a bunch of scribbled notes.

Without recognition of it, I started to play the notes. My fingers moved swiftly across the keys as if the notes had made it's way to my fingers. I wasn't even looking at the paper any more. When I did decide to look at it once more though, I noticed that there were a few words under the notes. I was very tempted to sing them, but before I could even open my mouth, I felt a warm air reach out and touch the back of my neck.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up one by one. I slowly took my fingers off of the keys and shut my eyes as tight as I could. I slowly turned around, and when I was completely turned around, I opened my eyes. One eye at a time.

When both of my eyes were open, I was staring at a chest. I followed the chest up to a chin, and then to a half masked face. I stood up. My breath was caught in my throat. I couldn't speak.

When I was able to get some words of my mouth, they were very short small words. "The Phantom." I said in a soft voice, almost a whisper. I was too scared to raise my voice any higher.

"What were you doing on my organ?" He asked me flatly.

"Uh-uh I-I was pl-playing it." I said, not really sure what else to say.

He nodded his head slightly. I still refused to make eye contact with him, so I was awkwardly staring at hit chin.

"What is your name?" The Phantom asked me.

"Wha-what?" I asked confused.

"Your name child. What is it?"

He wanted to know my name? Hmm. "Jemma. My name is Jemma." That was the first full sentence I was able to say to him with out stuttering.

"Ah." Was all he said.

"What is your name?" I asked with a sudden ounce of confidence.

"You want to know my name?" The Phantom asked me.

"Mhmm." I mumbled in more than a whisper. I was now speaking regularly.

"It's Erik." I heard him say.

"I like that name." I told him. It just rolled off of my tongue without my brain connecting with my mouth.

"Y-you do?" Erik asked me.

"Yes." I said plainly.

I was still looking down at the ground when I felt a hand on my chin. Out of surprise and shock, I pulled away. I lost my balance trying not to bump into the grand organ and I fell to the ground. I tried to stand back up but fell once again. I am so clumsy.

I looked up and saw a hand in front of my hand. "Are you all right Jemma?" Erik asked me sounding just a tad bit concerned.

"Yes." I said. I was no agitated because when I tried to stand up the first time, I heard a rip. My tutu was now ripped and this was my favorite one.

I got up off of the ground on my own and put my hands on my tutu. I had a big rip. I could just tell. If I moved my hands then the Phantom would be able to see through my tights and he could see my under garments.

"I think I should be getting back now. It was nice meeting you though." I said backing up towards the lake where a boat now rest.

"Jemma wait." Erik said. I turned to look at the Phantom, still not making direct eye contact with him. "You can't go back there."

"Yes I can." I said stepping into the small boat.

"No, you really can't. I can't have you telling people where I live." Erik stated.

"Trust me, your secret is safe with me." I said kind of harshly. I didn't mean for it to come out like that, but it did. I pushed the boat away from the rocks and looked at Erik.

He let out a sigh and pulled a big lever which made the gate rise up to the sky so that I could leave.

"By the way." I said, finally making eye contact with the Phantom's big beautiful blue eyes. "Thank you for saving me back there."

The boat rowed away and Erik turned into just another one of the small figures I had seen in there.

When the boat came to a halting stop, I got out and looked around. There were a few ways to go, so I decided to take the winding staircase. I ran up them as fast as I could so that I could quickly get my nightgown on.

Step by step I got closer to the end of the staircase. It seemed like forever, but at last I was at the end. I walked down a small tunnel and then arrived at a one way mirror. The mirror looked into the main dressing room. On the ground lay a sleeping Christine!

I pushed on the mirror, but realized that I had to pull. I opened the doorway and walked in as hushed as I could be. I was going to go back to my room before any one noticed that I was gone, but when I looked back at Christine, I knew I couldn't just leave her there.

"Christine. Christine." I said kneeling down next to her. She opened one eye and looked at me.

"Jemma. I had the weirdest dream!" she nearly shouted while sitting up.

"Shhh." I said hushing her. We both stood up quietly and walked to the door. "Tell me about your dream Christine." I said kind of amused and glad to be back.

"OK. So I- Jemma." she said with a bit of a giggle.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Your tutu. It has a rip." I could tell that Christine was about to burst out laughing so I turned back to her and covered her mouth with my hand.

"Ewe!" I nearly shouted when Christine licked my hand. I moved my hand from her mouth and wiped it off on my trashy tutu. We both let out a small giggle.

"Now, tell me your dream." I said.

"You know what, never mind." Christine said.

"Please?" I pleaded.

"You are going to think that this is silly, but I don't think it was a dream." Christine retorted.

"Just tell me about it."

"No. You will think that I am crazy." Christine said.

"I promise I won't think that you are crazy." I held out my pinky and she took it. I pinky promised that I wouldn't think that she is crazy.

Christine sighed. "Well, I was getting ready to go out with Raoul in the changing room. I was just about to walk out of the room when I heard a voice just as all of the lights went out.

I turned around and in my mirror stood the figure of a man with half of a white mask covering the right side of his face. He put me into a trance with his voice and I took his hand. He led me down a tunnel and many, many stairs.

Finally we were standing in front of a black horse. It was the missing horse from 4 years ago, Ceaser. So he picked me up and put me onto Ceaser. He walked me down a steep path and then he picked me up and set me into a boat on a little lake.

By now I had figured out that this was both my Angle of Music and The Phantom of the Opera. For some reason I didn't care though. He had me captivated, under his spell.

When the he stopped rowing the boat, he helped me onto the land where I was now in what seemed like a cave with many candles around us. My eyes were connected with his and I refused to look elsewhere. Taking my hand, he sang,

"I have brought you

To the seat of sweet music's throne

To this kingdom where all must pay homage

To music

My music"

He took hold of my hand as I got out of the boat. His hand fitted mine so perfectly. He then began to sing one of the best songs I have ever heard with the voice of an angel. I think it went something like,

"Nigh time

Sharpens

Heightens each sensation.  
Darkness stirs

And wakes imagination.  
Silently the senses

Abandon their defenses.

Slowly

Gently

Night unfurls it's splendor  
Grasp it

Sense it

Tremulous and tender  
Turn your face away from the garish light of day.  
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light

And listen to the music of the night.  
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams

Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before  
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar  
And you'll live, as you've never lived before  
Softly, deftly, music shall caress you.  
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you.  
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,  
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight.  
The darkness of the music of the night.

_Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world _

Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before.  
Let your soul take you where you long to be.  
Only then can you belong to me.  
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication.  
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation.  
Let the dream begin,  
Let your darker side give in, to the power of the music that I write.  
The power of the music of the night."

That is all I remember because he showed me a freaky life sized mannequin that looked just like me!" Christine shivered. "I passed out in his arms and when I opened my eyes I was in a beautiful swan shaped bed where a black veil surrounded me.

I pulled a velvet rope and the veil rose! I stood up and sang all that I remembered.

"I remember there was mist  
Swirling mist upon a vast, glassy lake  
There were candles all around,  
And on the lake there was a boat,  
And in the boat there was a man."

I walked towards the mystery man at the pipe organ while fixing my hair.

_"Who was that shape in the shadows?  
Whose is the face in the mask?"_

I let my hand rest against the right side of Phantom's face where a white mask rest. I gained his trust and though I hated to do it, curiosity got the best of me! I yanked it off! I only got a quick look at his face, but all I can say is that it was kind of...ugly. I'm not shallow or cold hearted, but it was truly ugly!

Within 2 seconds or so, I was pushed on to the ground with a strong arm.

"Damn you!  
You little prying Pandora!  
You little demon  
Is this what you wanted to see?"

He tore a blanket from a mirror and pointed to his face as if he hated to see his own face. I felt bad that I made him see it and tears formed in my eyes.

"Curse you!  
You little lying Delilah!  
You little viper  
Now you cannot ever be free!"

He walked towards me, shouted and then walked away.

"Damn you ...  
Curse you ..."

He knocked over a candle bra. He was truly in pain on the inside.

He turned to singing a sorrowful song.

"Stranger than you dreamt it  
Can you even dare to look  
Or bear to think of me  
This loathsome gargoyle, who burns in bell  
But secretly yearns for heaven  
Secretly ...  
Secretly ...

Christine ...

Fear can turn to love

You'll learn to see, to find the man

Behind this monster  
This repulsive carcass

Who seems a beast

But secretly

Dreams of beauty  
Secretly ...

Secretly ...

Oh, Christine ..."

I crawled over to him and handed him his mask. He took it, put it on and stood up.

"Come we must return  
Those two fools  
Who run my theatre  
Will be missing you."

We had a quiet walk back here to the Prima Donna room. since I was still tired and the door was locked, I just fell asleep on the ground. Then you came!"

Christine said all of her words in almost a single breath! I was shocked! By the time we arrived at our room, the sun was about to rise. We quickly put on our nightgowns and plopped down onto our cots. Mine was at the foot of Christine's.

"Do you think I was just dreaming?" Christine asked me.

"No I don't. I believe that all happened to you." I said to my sort of sister with a smile.

Christine smiled back and covered her face with the blankets. I was about to do the same, but she pulled them down. "Jem?" she asked.

"Yes?" I looked at her with a smile.

"If Madame Giry tells me to stay in bed if she knows that I was not in bed last night, will you stay with me? Say that you are sick or sleepy?"

"I would love to Christine." I said. We both shut our eyes to try and get as much sleep as possible.


	4. Chapter 3- A 'Day of Rest'

"Girls." Christine and I both opened our eyes and saw Madame Giry hovering over us.

"Yes?" I asked sleepily.

"You must wake up Jemma." Madame Giry said. She looked over at Christine and said "Stay in bed. You need rest. You were out all night."

"What about Jemma?" Christine asked.

"What about her? She must get up." Madame Giry exclaimed.

"But Madame, she is so tired. She was out all night with me." Christine lied.

Madame Giry looked over at me and saw the sleep in my eyes. I think she knew that I was lying, but I really was tired. "All right Jemma. Stay in bed. But I expect you to be up and ready later tonight. You to Christine."

We both nodded our heads and Madame Giry walked away. We shut our eyes and fell asleep right away.

###########A few hours later##############

"Jemma. Jemma." Christine said in my ear.

"Shhh. I'm sleeping." I said shoeing her away.

"Jemma!" She yelled. She flicked me in the head and I opened my eyes. I looked at Christine's apologetic smile and smiled back. Then I flicked her back. I did sit up though.

"What?" I asked a bit annoyed that I had to wake up from my beauty sleep.

"I want to show you where I went last night." Christine said with a grim smile. I knew what she was talking about so I was forced to swallow down a bit of fear.

"No." I said.

"No?"

"No. I don't want to go." I said.

"C'mon Jem, please? For me? It will be fun." Christine pleaded.

"Ugh! Fine." I grumbled. I stood up and as soon as I did, an outfit was tossed at me. I looked at it and it was a dress. It also wasn't mine.

"Wear it. Madame Giry wont know that it is you because you never wear dresses. And I hope you don't mind, but I am wearing your shirt and tutu and tights. She knows that I don't wear tights." When Christine told me this is noticed just how much she wanted me to go down with her.

"All right, fine. I will go down with you and I will even wear the dress, but don't you dare think that I am-" Before I could finish what I was saying, Christine held up a black ribbon. I smacked my hand to my face and looked down to the ground.

"I am wearing one too Jem." Christine said. She spun around to show me the yellow bow in her hair. It looked beautiful on her.

"Whatever." I said. I slipped off my night wear and Christine helped me put on the black dress that went to my mid thigh and had the smallest of straps to hold the dress up on my shoulders. "I feel stupid." I said as Christine put the bow in my hair.

"But you look beautiful." Christine said to me.

"Wear these." She said handing me a pair of black ballet shoes. I sat down on my cot and put them on my feet. "Are you ready?" Christine asked me.

"Yes." I said. Christine and I walked to the door, opened it, and checked to make sure that no one was around. The coast was clear.

We tip toed down the steps and back behind the stage as carefully as we could without getting caught.

At last we were standing in front of the main dressing room. We peeked through a crack in the door and no one was in there. We crept inside, making sure to shut the door behind us.

"So where is this passage?" I asked as if I didn't already know.

"Right here." Christine said, pushing the mirror aside. When we had both stepped in, she shut the mirror behind us.

"Do you remember the way?" I asked Christine.

She nodded her head and started to walk away from the mirror and down the tunnel. When we got to the staircase, we held onto the side and walked that way so that we didn't fall into any unseen traps.

When we were at the lake, I saw that the boat was gone.

"There was a boat, but I guess he took it back. We are just going to have to walk." Christine said.

"Through the water?" I asked.

"Yes." she said. She took a step into the water and then continued walking in the water. "Are you coming Jemma?" I heard her ask, her voice echoed, bouncing off of the walls.

"Yeah yeah." I said waving my hand in the air even though she couldn't see my gesture. I took a step in to the lake and froze. It was freezing!

"How can you walk in this water without freezing to death?" I asked. I walked along without paying attention to the goose bumps all over my body.

"Did you forget that I lived next to the ocean? I have been in colder water." She said with a chuckle.

I stopped talking and just continued to walk, following in Christine's footsteps. I was freezing to death in this water and wanted so bad to get out of it.

"Here we are." Christine said at last. We stood in front of the gate and looked in. "That's him.' Christine said in a whisper.

I looked in at the Phantom. He was playing the organ, the same song I had played. This time though, it had more notes. Not a whole lot, but I could tell that Erik had improved it.

"I love the sound of this song." I whispered.

"I don't. it's weird and odd sounding. It has an evil touch to it." Christine debated.

I crossed my arms over my chest because I was so cold. I heard my teeth chatter and then a splash of water.

"Don't let him see me. Please Jemma? He is obsessed over me." Christine pleaded, hiding from view.

"Who's there?" Erik asked. His voice was so deep and beautiful that I just felt like I could melt. When he turned around, I gave him a half hearted smile.

"Jemma." He said. He pulled the giant lever and the gate rose. My legs were nearly frozen so I kind of hobbled towards him. He walked into the water and wrapped his arms around my shivering body. I buried my face into his chest as my teeth chattered once again.

"Shhh." He said trying to calm me. He picked me up off of my feet and carried me to land. I looked over his shoulder and saw Christine staring at me with a loving smile. Oh no. Was she thinking that I liked that Phantom? Oh no. I do not. Maybe as a friend, but nothing more. She winked at me and then hid again.

Erik carried me to the swan shaped bed and layer me down in it.

"What are you doing down here? And why are you in a dress that short?" Erik asked me while wrapping me in a nice warm blanket.

"I-I don't know." I said still shaking.

"Were you spying on me?" Erik asked me,

"I most certainly was not!" I shouted angrily. Erik backed up.

"All right, all right." he said. "Forget I even said anything!" He spat in my face. He stood up and stormed away. I cuddled the blanket, pulling it close to my body.

I really didn't mean to be that rude to him. I sat up and heard him smash his hand onto the organ keys. I guess he was angry.

I stood up and walked out to him. I stood behind him and watched. "I'm sorry." I said to him. He harshly turned around and I made eye contact with him. I stared deep into his big beautiful blue eyes. I saw him stare into my dull brown eyes and at that moment, a thought crossed my mind. What was under his mask? What made Christine so scared?

I dropped the blanket to the ground and touched Erik's face. He didn't move. I made my way up to the edge of his mask and without thinking, I quickly grasped the mask with my hand and ripped it off.

A strong hand pushed me to she ground. I looked up and Erik was covering his face. He gleamed down at me. Fire danced I his eyes.

"Damn you! You are nothing but a pest! A dancing rat! You are just a bother! Nothing but! You can never do anything right! You can barely stand on your own 2 feet! You should just go back and live with your parents! No wonder they sent you away! You are nothing but a repulsive child!" His words brought tears to my eyes.

"Here! Take your damn mask!" I yelled, standing up on my feet of which I supposedly can't even stand on. I threw his mask at the ground and stormed off towards the icy water. Tears were streaming down my face.

Before I ran off, I turned around. "And by the way, I would be with my parents right now if I could be, but they're dead!" I shouted. I then turned away and ran through the cold water.

"Jemma wait!" Christine shouted, running after me. "Jemma!"

When I was out of the water, I just sat down waiting for Christine. Tears ran down my cheeks.

"Oh Jemma." I heard Christine say. "Oh Jemma, I'm so sorry I-"

I cut her off. "It's fine." I said standing up. I wiped my tears away and stared at Christine. "We must get back. We have a show to do." I said. I turned around and marched away. I walked up the staircase and down the tunnel, all the while keeping my head held high, and my heart hidden behind a shield or armor.

I waited for Christine before walking through the mirror and into the changing room. We peeked through the same small crack we looked through earlier and we saw that we had a few seconds to make it to the stairs.

We quickly made it up to our room, dried off and then got changed into out costumes. Christine in her Mute boy costume and me in my ballet dress. When we were both ready to leave, we ran to the door. I was about to open it but Christine stopped me.

"Are you sure you are okay?" she asked me.

I nodded my head and opened the door. We hurried down the steps and back stage where we ran into Madame Giry.

"Christine! Are you ready to go on?" Madame Giry asked. She nodded her head and was rushed onto the stage to get in her place. I on the other hand just waited back stage.

While Carlotta sang her parts, I just waited to go on. I always hated waiting. I am really not that patient. I started to tap my foot to keep occupied, but it was kind of hard to block Carlotta's horrid voice from reaching my ears.

"Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?" Finally! Something which peeked my interest! Oh. Wait. It's Erik. When everybody turned to look up at him, I just continued to tap my foot.

"He's here, The Phantom of the Opera." Meg sang.

When Christine looked up and saw him I couldn't tell what she was thinking. "It's him." she said.

"Your part is silent, little toad!" Carlotta so rudely said. I wanted to go on stage and just slap that woman.

Carlotta walked off the stage to get some throat spray and then came back. " You cannot speak, but kiss me in my HAGH!"

The audience burst out in laughter and so did I. When we were all controlled, the play continued.

"Poor fool, he makes me laugh. HahahahaHAGH! HAGH! HAGH!?" Carlotta sang. I began laughing so hard.

"She has lost her voice!" someone in the audience shouted. This made me laugh even more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize, the performance will continue in ten minutes' time... ...when the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Daae. Until then, we will crave your indulgence for a few moments Meanwhile, we'd like to give you the ballet from Act Three of tonight's opera." one of the managers said.

"What?" the maestro questioned.

"Maestro, the b-b-ballet, bring, please The b-ballet The ballet, now, please. Thank you." The short manager said.

I went onto the stage and started to dance. I twirled in circles around the other girls and the sheep. Then out of no where, drops a dead Joseph Bouquet! And right next to me! I let out a loud scream as did everyone else. I looked up and saw a swift movement towards the stairs to the roof.

I cut through the large crowd and ran up to the roof. I knew it was Erik. It had to be. Even if it was, why was I following him? He was a total jerk to me!

I ended up running up the steps right behind Christine and Raoul. They ran to the roof and just as the door was bout to shut, I hurried onto the roof. There I saw a shadow and know who it belonged to. The Phantom.

I quickly hid behind a different statue, one away from Erik. I didn't want him knowing that I was up here. Not yet at least.

"There is no Phantom of the Opera." I heard Raoul sing.

"Raoul, I've been there, to his world of unending night... To a world with the daylight dissolves into darkness... darkness... Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face in that darkness... Darkness."

As Christine sang that, I felt my heart sink. Erik was too a human! He was just different. And different is good. "Different is good." I mumbled in a very soft whisper to myself.

The next thing that Christine sang was a little nicer. "But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound... In that night there was music in my mind... And through music my soul began to soar! And I heard as I'd never heard before."

Raoul tried to tell her that it was just a dream, but Christine debated that it wasn't and only I knew she was telling the truth. Then Raoul started to sing "_All I ask of you_" to Christine. Then she started to sing it to. Then they were both singing.

"Love me - that's all I ask of you... Anywhere you go let me go too... Love me - that's all I ask of you."

Then, a silence which made me cry for Erik. I peeked out from where I was hiding and saw Raoul and Christine kissing. It was sweet…for them, but Christine had no idea how Erik felt. She thinks it is obsession. I think it is just a man who has madly fallen in love and is stuck in a love triangle and will do anything for the one he loves.

"I must go They'll wonder where I am Come with me, Raoul." Christine sang.

"Christine, I love you" Raoul sincerely said.

"Order your fine horses! Be with them at the door! And soon you'll be beside me! You'll guard me, and you'll guide me." Christine really loved Raoul so much that she would run away from here. How sweet!?

I had tears in my eyes, both joyful ones and sad ones. I looked over at the Phantom and his head was hung low. He was hurt. His heart was broken.

When the door had shut behind Christine and Raoul, I saw Erik walk out from his hiding spot. He knelt down on the ground and I now noticed that he was holding a rose. The rose that Christine was holding. By the looks of it, he had given it to her.

He held the rose to his chest and sang the most sorrow filled words I had heard. "I gave you my music... made your song take wing... and now how you've repaid me: denied me and betrayed me... He was bound to love you when he heard you sing... Christine…"

in the back ground you could hear Raul and Christine singing. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime... say the word and I will follow you... Share each day with me, each night, each morning…" This brought sorrow to my heart.

The Phantom rose from the ground, shaking a bit because of the cold. To be honest, I was freezing too. I was about as cold as when I was walking in the water. If not colder. I paid no attention to my needs though because I was to worried about Erik. He loves Christine with all of his heart and here she is kissing Raoul.

When Erik stood up, I saw a crushed rose stem resting upon the snow covered roof and flower petals around it. I didn't know exactly what he was thinking now, but he was both sad and angry.

Erik ran over to a statue in the far right and jumped up it. "You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you...!" he sang. I stepped out from behind my statue. I just stood there with tears streaming down my face. I bit my lip to keep from sobbing uncontrollably.

When Erik climbed down, he turned around to leave. Then, he saw me. "Jemma. What are you doing here?" He asked kind of angrily. I understood that he was mad, so I paid no attention to his tone of voice.

I said nothing back. Instead, I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. And let my tears fall onto his shoulder.

"Wh-" I don't think he was used to being hugged, so this might have been a little awkward for him.

"Oh Erik." I mumbled.

I felt a quick pat on my back, but then that pat turned into a hug. I think I was even surprised.

When I let go of him, I backed up. He saw that I was crying and he lifted a finger. I didn't flinch at all this time. He moved his gloved hand closer to my face and he wiped away my still falling tears.

I then decided to sit down. The snow was so cold that it numbed my bottom. Erik sat down next to me and looked over at me.

"Are you not still mad?" He asked knowing that I knew what he was talking about.

"No." I stated through my slow falling tears.

"Why?"

"B-because. Fr-friends f-forgive each other.." I said with a half hearted smile. I was shaking because of how cold I was. I guess Erik noticed because he reached behind him and took of his beautiful cape. He swung an arm around me and draped my shoulders with it. He then pulled me into a hug.

My head was now buried in his warm chest. With his hand rubbing my back in an attempt to warm my back, I heard him say something.

"I'm your friend?" He asked.

I looked up at the Phantom, right into his beautiful blue eyes. "Well…yeah, I guess so." I said. "Am I your friend?"

He looked down into my eyes. "Um…I have never really had a friend."

"Well then…consider me your first" I said sweetly. My tears had stopped and I was a little warmer. I sniffled because of the coldness. Then I shivered again.

"Come. We must get you in." Erik said. He picked me up in his arms and stood up. With his cape still around my arms, I pulled it closer to my chest so that I would be warmer. I nudged my head into the crook of his arm and he froze.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh uh…nothing. Nothing at all." He said. He opened the door and walked in.

He was so warm. I just wanted to fall asleep in his arms. So that is exactly what I did. I shut my eyes and let darkness slip over my eyes as I quickly fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 4- The Truth Hurts

Alright, so i should probably introduce myself. I'm Brianna and I am 13 years old. I love to wrrite and sing. Phantom of the opera is an obsession of mine because I can relate to Erik, the Phantom, in so many ways. I have a heart problem and that makes me different. I am not popular so I spend most of my free time writing. If anyone has the app 'kik messenger', my username is bjrcarebear. So yeah, that's me. Maybe from now on, in each chapter i will give one fact about me! Also, I enjoy reading people's reviews and I try to respond to them all. Critic my work please and tell me how i can improve! Alright, have a nice day!

LINE

"Erik." I mumbled, just waking up. I looked up and saw Erik standing up and rowing the boat. I was lying in it since I was still sleeping.

"Yes Jemma?" He asked me.

"Are you all right?" I was putting his feelings ahead of mine because I knew he must be heart broken.

"What do you mean?" He asked. His voice cracked and I knew he don't want to answer that question, but I pushed on for an answer.

"What happened up there. Are you all right?"

"Yes." Was all he said.

"Are you sure because from what I saw-" I was cut off by an angry Erik, or was he sad. Probably both.

"Because what?" He yelled, turning around so that he could see me. He had stopped rowing just to yell at me. "You know nothing! You are just a dancing rat who knows nothing! I love her and she chose that... that fop!" He shouted.

I didn't even flinch. Instead, I let a single tear drip down my pale cheek. Erik turned around and continued rowing. When the boat hit land, Erik got out and walked over to a stack of music papers. I crooked my head to the side. Poor thing. I did understand what he was going through. Just he doesn't know that.

I pulled the cape up so that I didn't trip on it and then got out. I reached to my neck and untied the little strings. "Here." I quietly say, holding the black cape out to him.

"Keep it." He said. He turned back around and I just nodded my head even though he couldn't see.

I walked to the swan bed and got into it. I pulled the black cape over my body and shut my eyes. Pulling the cape up to my chin, I let out silent tears and let them fall onto the pillow.

I felt so bad for Erik. He was unable to open his eyes and see that Christine didn't love him! That thought led me to another. Why did my parents leave me? I knew that it wasn't there fault, but more mine!

Tears spilled out of my eyes and I silently cried myself to sleep.

(Erik's P.O.V.)

I cupped my hands and threw my head into them. "I can't do this!" I shouted. I crumpled a piece of paper with music notes on it and I threw it to the ground. Then I remembered that Jemma was in the other room. I shut my big mouth and took in a deep breath.

"Oh Christine, why don't you love me?" I whispered to the universe. When all was quiet, I shut my eyes. I was about to drift off to sleep, but my eyes quickly shot open.

All was not hushed anymore. What was that sorrow filled sound? I listened a few seconds longer, not even breathing so that I could hear the sound weakly breaking through the air. A whimper. A whimper?

Well it wasn't me. Doest that mean? No. I couldn't have. I had made Jemma cry.

I stood up and walked into her room. I was carefully stepping lightly on the ground so that she didn't hear me. I stood at the door at and stared at her.

She had stopped crying and I was hopping that she was asleep. I walked up to her and stood at the side of the bed. She looked so peaceful at that moment.

I stared at her face and saw one single tear drip. "I'm sorry." I said. With a gloved hand, I slowly wiped away the tear drop. She started to move around so I walked back out to my organ.

I took a seat and looked around, wishing that I could be sitting here knowing that Christine was in that bed. Instead though, it was Jemma.

'Is that such a bad thing?' A voice in the back of my head asked.

"She is no Christine. She is just a dancing little girl." I thought out loud.

Christine was special. She was MY Angle of Music. I just know that if that foul Raoul hadn't stepped into the picture, Christine would be back in that bed.

'But you have Jemma!' my mind screamed at me.

I ignored my thoughts and rested my head on the now covered organ. I thought that I might as well get some sleep so that hopefully the aching pain would descend into the night.

########A few hours later#######

I picked my head up, glad that another lonely day had passed.

'You still have Jemma.' the voice inside of my head stated.

I sat up straight and adjusted my wig and mask to perfection. I stretched my back and stood up. I looked around just let the sadness of everything sink in.

Christine doesn't love me. "But I will get her!" I angrily think out loud.

Just as I am about to let my anger get the best of me, I hear a noise coming from Jemma. It wasn't a cry thankfully. It was more like…like a cough.

She coughed again and then once more. Her cough was loud and vigorous. I let out a slight sigh, forgetting my worries just for the moment. I walked away from where I was standing and went to go see if Jemma was all right.

I miserably walked into the room to see Jemma but I didn't see her. Instead I saw a small, pale ghost like figure wrapped up in my cape.

"Jemma?" I asked in a low voice.

"Oh Erik. I was just coming to see you." She said. Her voice sounded horse and soar. She sat up and pulled the cape close to her.

"Jemma, you should probably lay back down." I told her. I walked over to her side and just stood there like an idiot. I didn't know what to say!

"I'm fine. Really. It's just a little cough." She said with a fake laugh. She stood up and just looked up at me. "See? I'm fine." She said.

I saw her knees go weak and just as she fell, I caught her in my arms. She was so helpless.

'She needs you' my mind whispered.'

When she looked up into my eyes with a slight smile, I felt a small smile tug at the edges of my lips but I didn't let the fuzzy warm feeling inside of me overtake my body. "You are not fine." I calmly said. I picked her weak body up and put her back into the bed.

"Go back to sleep." I covered her up with the blankets and then my black cape.

"But-" I cut her off. "No 'buts'. Just go back to sleep. She rolled away to face the other side of the wall.

"Fine." she huffed. She let her body relax and I knew that that was my sign to leave her to rest. I walked back out to my organ and looked around. I really hated living this life.

It really stinks being down her, closed off from the outside world. I can't even go into the Opera House without getting greeted with screams. My own Opera House!

I let out a puff of air that I had been holding and walked away from this pitiful instrument which only reminds me of Christine and the time I spent on her. For hours I would sit at my organ and write songs…all for her! And for what? To find out that she doesn't love me?

With one swipe of my arm, I had knocked over one of my candles in anger.

'Don't wake Jemma.' my mind shouted.

I left the candle on the ground and ran down to the boat. I climbed in and rowed away once the gate opened. I just needed to get away. At least for a little while.

Where I was heading was a complete mystery to even myself. The boat floated across the lake, a million thoughts beating up my mind at once.

When the boat stopped, I stepped out and walked down a tunnel. There I found myself staring into the dancer's bed room. Girls were running around like crazy. They were all speaking lies. Rumors they had heard from each other.

"I heard that the Opera Ghost KILLED Jemma!" A girl with long blonde hair said.

"I heard that Jemma ran off to some other country to be with him." A girl with long black hair said. If I am right, she is one of Jemma's closest friends. Isabella I think her name is. I think people call her Isa though.

"If that is true, then they would make a VERY happy and cute couple." An intoxicating voice said.

I looked around the room and behind a few girl in tutus sat my beautiful Christine, combing through her hair with a smile of her face. She was just sitting on her bed. She seemed as if her mind were miles away.

Young Meg Giry sat down next to her. "Are you crazy Christine? He would kill her before she could even scream." She said with a laugh at Christine's innocence.

"You don't know that Meg. Behind his mask could be a sweet and gentle…man." Christine said with a gulp. She had seen that side of me. She did know that part of me.

"Stop lying to yourself. Besides, he loves you. It's no secret. He want you in each and every play and does anything to make that happen."

It was true, I would do anything to make my angle a star.

"I just hope he doesn't harm Jemma. Or do anything to make her shed even a single tear." She said this knowing that I had made her cry before.

Christine stood up and put her brush away. Then she walked out of the room. I still stood there though. I was being sucked into the gossip.

Isa stood up in the middle of the room and spun around to look at each dancer for a split second. "You know what I heard from the guys?" She asked with a devilish grin on her face.

"What?" they all shouted, moving in closer. The guys of my Opera House always spread the most craziest lies. Crazier than the girl's.

"I heard that The Phantom came to her one night after a show. He took her with him and brought her to his secret lair where he forced her to bed him!" She shouted.

Each and every girl in the room burst out in laughter.

"I heard that he bed her more than once! And she loved it!" another girl chirped. The room was enclosed in laughter.

"I heard that after he bed her, he told her that she was a whore and that he never wanted to see her ugly face again!" one other girl said. Each and every girl erupted in laughter. Even her own 2 friends Meg and Isa!

I was hurt that people would think that I would do that to Jemma! Why would I force her to bed me and then call her such hurtful words?

Anger bubbled up inside of me. I mean, even if I were to bed her, I would never do it by force. I would want her to love me and- NO! Why am I even thinking of bedding Jemma? I love Christine. I am just letting all of this gossip get to my head.

'You like Jemma.' My mind told me.

I love Christine not that… that… that ballet rat! I harshly spun around and ran off. I sat in the boat but instead of rowing, I just sat in it and let it slowly flow downstream.

Was it true? Did I like Jemma a little bit? I mean, she is different from Christine. From any other girl in fact. Even Madame Giry feared me somewhat.

Jemma doesn't fear me unless I give her reason to. But I don't like her! No! I like Christine! I love Christine!

She is my angle of music, my prodigy. But in her eyes she still held fear. I knew it. Her heart was weighed down by fear of my disgusting face! She loves Raoul! He is… perfect!

Everything I am not, he is. But what does Jemma see in me though? I mean, I am no better than her friends who were laughing at the thought of her behind her back!

"_Friends."_

Jemma's voice echoed through my head. We're friends. At least she is mine. I never gave her a solid answer. Instead I just yelled at her.

And for what, caring about me? Not even my own mother cared about me. Jemma saw my face and I yelled at her. Then she forgave me.

The boat drifted to my home as I sat in deep thought. When I reached land, I walked over to my organ and looked at a small pocket watch Madame Giry had given me many years ago. I hadn't even realized how long I was away until I looked at the small clock. Almost 2 hours.

I leaned my head back and stared at the walls. These walls which keep me closed off from the world. The walls which divide me and Christine.

I lowered my head to look at my sheet music, my opera I was working on. I might have been done by now, if I knew what to write next for my song. And even when I do figure out the next few lines, I must write the rest of the play.

I keep in mind though that this will help me physically be closer to Christine.

I Started to play a few random notes in hopes that the lyrics and tune would just come to me, but I had no luck. I let out a sigh of exhaustion. I shut my eyes for a few seconds in hopes of concentration. Instead of concentrating though, I am stuck thinking.

Surprisingly I wasn't thinking of Christine. I was thinking of Jemma and what she would think if she knew what her 'friends' were saying about her. Making up rumors and lies about her…and then laughing about them!

As if my thoughts were spoken out loud, when I opened my eyes I a saw a petite figure standing to the side of me. I turned my head to look at Jemma.

"You shouldn't be out of bed." I said to her.

She let out a small cough. It didn't sound as bad is it did earlier though. "I heard you playing and decided to come see what you were working on." She said. "May I sit monsieur?"

I scooted over a bit as if signaling a 'yes'. She still held my cape close to her body. She pulled it aside and sat down. She reached up and grabbed my papers. I harshly grabbed her wrist. I didn't want her to see my work.

"Relax." she said with a halfhearted smile. "I just want to see them." I slowly unclasped my fingers from her wrist and watched as she looked over the song I had been working on.

At the last paper, she looked up at me. "I see you are at a dead end are you not?" I nodded my head. She shut her eyes and then opened them. "May I please have a pen?" She asked me.

"You are not going to change my opera are you?" I asked. After all, it is MY opera.

"Fine. I will sing it and you can write it." She said, handing the paper to my gloved hand. I lightly took them as I watched her rest her hands on the organ.

"Ok, let's see." She said. She played a few notes. "No no." Jemma mumbled to her self.

"Ok. This is just off of the top of my head," she told me, still staring at the organ.

Out of the blue, beautiful notes began to come out of my organ. They were amazingly beautiful! When she stopped, she looked at me.

"Are you getting this?" She asked me. I fumbled for my pen.

"Ah yes." I said. I was dumbfounded at how well the notes fit with the rest of the song. I wrote down each note that Jemma just played.

"Now for lyrics." her sick voice chirped. I looked over at her. Even after just waking up, her brown hair looked pretty. What was I saying? Christine is pretty. Jemma is just…beautiful.

I would have gotten into a full out fight with myself if not for Jemma's voice.

"When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last consume us?"

I wrote down each word she sang, all the while thinking of how perfect her voice was.

'Way better than Christine's.' my mind said.

Yes it was. No wait! Christine's is the best voice ever!

"What do you think?" Jemma asks me.

Without words I just sat there, probably looking really stupid. I didn't know what to say. Jemma had a beautiful voice. It was so beautiful that not even the sweetest candy could compare to it. But still nothing compared to Christine's voice.

"I-it was great." I finally said. I looked up from the paper and saw that Jemma had a smile on her face.

"Thanks." she said. I saw a small blush start to lightly paint her cheeks. It made her look perfect in the candle light. Her brown hair rested on one of her shoulders. It was just right.

No! Why am I thinking all of this? Christine is perfect, my angle of music, my everything. Jemma is just a girl with a good voice.

I mentally shook all of my thoughts out of my head when Jemma spoke up again. "Do you have anything to drink Erik? I do not mean to be a bother, it is just that my throat is very dry."

"Oh um, let me go see." I said. I stood up from my seat and walked to one of my curtains. The one which was next to my model of Christine. It wore a wedding dress which I planed on giving to Christine one of these days.

I opened the curtain to a small kitchen like area. I reached up and opened a cabinet. In it were bottles of wine and whiskey and other types of alcohol. Damn! Nothing else?

I carefully got a wine and two cups. I guess this will have to do. I pulled the curtain out of my way and walked back towards Jemma, trying not to look at my mannequin of Christine.

I stood behind the seat of which Jemma was sitting on. "Is this alright? It is all I have." Jemma spun around and looked at me. I waved the two glasses and the wine in the air. She nodded her head. I sat down next to her and popped open the bottle and poured some into each cup in hand. I set the bottle next to me on the ground and handed Jemma a cup of white wine.

"Thank you." she said. She tipped the cup back and took a small sip. I did the same.

When she brought the cup down I looked over at her. She had a small trace of wine lining her top lip. I was guessing that she didn't know that it was there because I just kept staring at her.

"What?" she asked me. She was right, her throat was dry. Now when she talked she sounded better.

I felt a smile creep onto my face as I just continued to stare at her.

"What?" she asked once again. She sounded a little angry but in one of those funny ways.

I brought my gloved finger up to her face and I wiped away the wine on her lip. She just sat there completely frozen. Did she feel what I felt? Even though a leather glove was covering my hand, sparks flew all up my arm. Sparks I didn't have when I touched Christine.

I let my finger rest on her face for a second longer than needed. When I pulled my arm back, I looked from her pink lips up to her sparkling eyes. "You had some wine on your lip." I said.

I still could barely speak, let alone breath. I felt sparks when I touched this girl. And she let me touch her. She didn't flinch or move away at all. Christine let me touch her to, but in all fairness she was in a trance.

"Thanks." She said in a small voice. Her eyes were still locked with mine. I wasn't sure if I should do something or look away or walk away. Instead I let a smile still latch onto my face. It wasn't a big smile, but it was there. Jemma had a smile too.

What should I do? I wanted to do something but I didn't.

_'Maybe you should…KISS HER!' _a voice in the back of my mind shouted.

Should I? Should I really kiss her? No. It just wouldn't be right. Betraying my love for Christine and wasting it on a child? Thoughts swarmed my head and before I could think any more, Jemma spoke up.

"I um…I should probably get back to sleep." She said. Her voice sounded sad.

Did she want me to kiss her? No, I'm just over thinking things.

"Yes you should." I told her. I felt my smile drop as she stood up.

"Thank you for the drink Erik."

"Your welcome."

Jemma walked off, cape around her shoulders. Once she was in the room, I stood up. I walked over to the curtain with Christine's wedding dress and went in. Without looking at the model, I opened a big closet. It was full of clothes that I had for Christine. It had many different outfits that I wanted her to wear one day.

I looked through all of the dresses and decided to take out a light blue dress which fell at one's knees. Around the waist line it had a black ribbon tied around it.

I shut the closet doors and opened a few small drawers. I pulled out a pair of black slippers for shoes, black hand gloves and a black hair ribbon along with a wooden brush.

I shut those drawers and opened one more. I pulled out a pair of… unmentionables and then shut the drawer. I walked out of that small room, never once making eye contact with the still glass eyes in the mannequin.

I quietly walked into Jemma's room and set the clothes down on a small chair in the corner of the room. Without even looking at her, I walked out. I still needed to finish my play.

I sat down at my organ and looked down at my wine. Might as well have a drink. I lifted up the light alcohol and sipped at it slowly as I scribbled words onto paper.

After I had a few scenes written down, I decided to play the song that Jemma had written a little bit too. I flipped to that song and softly hummed the tune to my self. I honestly really loved this song.

I played each note, careful not to skip one or get one wrong. When I got to the part that Jemma added in I paused. I glanced up at the notes and then began to play while singing them. "When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last consume us?"

The song really spoke to me. Even the ending. It just…fit in somehow. To be honest, I have seen Jemma dance before. She is amazing at it! But here, here she has a gift. She can write opera, sing opera, AND play the organ. She has never had any lessons for any of them.

I continued to just sit and drink my wine in deep thought. Why is she still here? Why is she not leaving me when she is clearly able to? I know that she is sick, but on the roof top, she called me her friend.

Madame Giry has been my friend since I came here, but she was still scared of me.

What on Earth am I thinking? Jemma is still disgusted by my face. She is just crazy enough to keep coming down here!

With her here, she is blocking Christine from entering my thoughts. Christine…my one true love.

I would give anything for her. I would kill 1,000 men for her. If she told me to kill Raoul, I wouldn't hesitate. If I had to kill her little friend Meg to get to her, I would.

'And Jemma?' my cursed conscience asked.

No. I would never hurt her. Friends don't hurt each other. I will never hurt my friend.

The word _friend _brought a smile to my face knowing that I had one. I had a friend.

I stood up and walked over to where I kept all of my sketches and sat down on the wooden chair. I looked around and found a sheet of paper and some colored ink for my quill pen.

Without hesitation I started to draw a picture of a girl with brown hair. It was just her face, but it was still a beautiful picture.

My hand continued to move around, dipping my quills and then drawing.

When I was done, I looked down at my paper. I was a little shocked.

It was a picture of Jemma!

My shock was replaced with the slightest smile. She was indeed a beautiful girl.

Looking at this picture made me realize something. I knew nothing about her! She knows nothing about me either and yet she has been nothing but kind to me!

I decided to go check on Jemma. I got up and walked into her room.

Her face was buried deep in the pillows and she was still covered up with my cape. The color had come back to her face some so it looked as if she were feeling a little bitter.

I just stood and stared at her for a second when I heard her mumble.

She spoke jumbled words, but I could make out one thing she said "I'm sorry."

I walked away in confusion. Why? Why would she be sorry?

Thoughts swarmed me head. Was she a killer to? Did she have secrets to hide as well? Was she just having a bad dream?

I didn't know. I sat down at my organ again and began to play the song Jemma had helped write once again.

Then something popped into my head about half way through the song.

What was I thinking? I'm the Phantom of the Opera for damn's sake! Why do I care what a little dancer is dreaming about? She is not Christine nor could she ever compete with her!

Just a dancing rat! Yeah, that is all she is! I am just trying to be nice for once. She is not my friend. If she was then she wouldn't have pulled my mask off!

She just wants something from me! Or she just wants to torment me like the others! She is just a… "A DANCING RAT!"

I slammed my fist down on the organ bench and then snapped out of my little self conflict. I shut my eyes and looked down at the ground.

"I am just a dancing rat aren't I?"

I turned around and I saw a teary eyed Jemma. Had I said some of that out loud?

"I thought we were friends." she said through tears.

"We… I…" I was at a loss of words.

"Just forget it. Remember, I'm just a dancing rat." She dropped my cape which was wrapped around her and I saw that she was wearing the outfit I gave her.

Everything looked so perfect on her...but it would look better on Christine. I just realized that she also had her long hair tied up in the ribbon.

"Jemma." I reached a hand out to her even though she had walked past me and I now stared at her back.

"What Erik?" She asked sounding a bit irritated. Her eyes were full of tears now.

"I didn't mean it." That was all I could say. I probably sounded so pathetic.

"You never mean it do you!?" She now shouted. "You think that just because you say sorry everything will be alright! Well sorry means nothing now! No wonder Christine doesn't want to be with you! Who would want to be with a man like you? You are hideous, on the inside! Some people could look past your looks but you just decide to wallow in your own pain and sorrow! What woman would want to be with a man who is such a baby that he can't even go outside and live with others? No one would want to live down here! People want to live!" She moved closer towards me and poked me in the chest.

As she ranted on I could just feel the fire burning up inside of me but I tried to contain it.

"You see Erik, girls don't want a man who hides all of his worries behind a mask. They want someone who can protect them! Not a coward like you! To scared to even show your own face to me!"

That was it! I couldn't hold in my rage!

With one swift movement, I stood up and pushed her to the ground.

"You little whore!" I shouted at her. "You should have died with your parents!"

I then realized that I had gone a bit to far.

I hovered over the scared girl, anger dripping like venom from my lips. Tears were streaming down her face. Oh gosh, I made Jemma cry! What do I care though? She is just a girl!

"Get out of here!" I shouted with all of my might.

She stood up and got in the boat. I pulled the lever to open the gate for her to leave and I watched after her until she was out of my sight.

I then took a seat and drank what was left of the white wine. As I drank away my troubles and thoughts bounced around in my head.

Did I do the right thing? Was it best for her to leave? Will I now be able to think of Christine freely?

Other thoughts jumped around as well. More important thoughts. Like the fact that I just called Jemma a whore. Was that needed? She was just speaking her mind and the truth at that. She would probably get over that.

But I also just told her to die. Wait, I just told a girl to die with her parents! Jemma is the type of girl who would do what ever it took to be with her parents.

Even…die! Oh no! what have I done!


	6. Chapter 5- Self Conflict

Alright, so for some reason fan fiction is being stupid, so be glad that this posts! Also, here is a fact about me... I have a heart problem and i have needed to get 3 open heart surgerys as a baby. Now, read away my lovelies!

LINE

(Jemma's P.O.V)

I cried as I made my way through the opera house. I stomped up  
the stairs and to my room. At the moment I didn't care who I woke up.  
I just didn't want to see Erik!

"I HATE MEN!" I shouted as I stormed into my room of which I  
forgot that I shared with Christine. "UGH!"

I tore off the stupid clothes that Erik gave me and angrily ripped  
the ribbon out of my hair. I stood behind the changing curtain and got  
into a blue night gown and walked back out. There I saw Christine now  
sitting up with a mess of hair atop her head.

"Look who decided to show up." She said through a yawn. I just  
tossed Christine a dirty glare. "Sit."

I listened to her and took a seat on the edge of my bed as I  
continued to cry. I let my head fall into my hands. I was a bit uneasy. Could I really tell Christine  
what happened? I may be mad at Erik but I had promised that I wouldn't  
tell of his secret.

"Tell me where you were for the past day or so." Christine  
crossed her arms. "And why you are crying." She took out some matches  
from the nightstand drawer and lifted them up. She lit a match and  
lifted up to the nasty yellow colored wax candle resting on a brass  
candle holder. "And why you were shouting when you came up here and  
anything else you are keeping hidden."

I just stared into the bright light of which illuminated the  
room. I got lost in the glow and my mind began to wander. I felt as if  
the light was burning a deeper hole in my soul than already was  
there. It was an intense feeling. I just looked into the candle light  
and let it pour into my empty heart. It just made me cry even more.  
When I tossed my head into my hands, I snapped out of my little trance  
that the intense light put me in.

"I…I can't Christine." I lifted my head and looked into my  
friend's heart warming brown eyes.

She looked bewildered. "Well sure you can Jemma. I'm your friend."

I looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry but I just can't. I made a promise and I am not going to break it just because I am mad."

Christine cracked a small smile. "Jemma, I love your loyalty, but if keeping a promise is making you cry then you need to break it. You need to break promises sometimes Jemma. That is just how life works."

I stared still at my loving friend. No wonder Erik loves her. She is the sweetest human being on this earth! As far as the eye can see, Christine has no flaws what so ever. Just staring into her eyes as she cracks her pure gold smile could make any man melt! And her voice. Her voice is as sweet as honey. 'When she sings' it is as if the whole world freezes around you.

"Christine, my dear friend." I gave her a half hearted smile. "Maybe if I was as flawless as you then I wouldn't have these problems with men."

Christine looked emotionally torn. "Ah but Jemma, there is more to me then meets the eye." She leaned forward and rested her hands on my weary shoulders. "No one person is flawless. I can say, that you my friend, are the smartest most caring person I know. We all have our flaws Jemma, but if people take the time to get to know you as Meg and I have, they would see just how wonderful you are and how lucky they are to have you in their lives."

Christine and Meg always know how to warm my heart and make me feel good inside. I leaned in and hugged Christine. "You are the best friend anyone could ask for Christine." I whispered into her ear. I pulled away and gave her my best fame smile.

She shrugged. "I try!" I giggled a girly giggle. "Now, let's go to sleep shall we? Tomorrow people will be asking where you were. I've got your back though." I smiled, as did Christine.

"Maybe I will tell you where I was tomorrow. But all you may know tonight is that I was crying because of one stupid and idiotic man."

"Aren't all men stupid in their own ways?"

We shared a laugh. "Goodnight Christine." I crawled under my covers.

"Goodnight Jemma." The light which shone so bright in the small room died when Christine blew it out. The darkness alone made me feel lonely once again.

I curled into a ball and waited before I heard Christine's heavy breathing slow down and lighten a bit. I knew she was asleep.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling as I turned to lay on my back. Then, I let it all out. My tears, my feelings…my heart and soul. Tears streamed down my face. Erik was right. I should have died with my parents. It is my fault that they died anyway! Erik was right, I would be better off dead!

After a while of crying and putting myself down, I fell asleep at last.

(Erik's P.O.V)

I tossed the wine bottle down causing glass to shatter every which way. I needed to find Jemma though! I ran to the lake and hopped into my boat. I started to row down the river as fast as I could.

'Why do you care what happens to her? She deserves to die for the way she treated you. She is just a foolish ballet rat.' My mind tried to persuade me to go back to my lair and let what ever happens happen.

In my heart though, I knew I had to keep going. She may just be a ballet rat but she did something so one else dared to do. She called me her friend.

I continued to row until I reached land. Then I made my way to her room which she shared with Christine. Just great.

I looked through the hole and listened closely. My breathing was fast and so I tried to slow it down.

"I HATE MEN!" a shaky voice shouted, followed by a door slamming shut. The voice was so loud and sudden that I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"UGH!" The voice groaned. I looked into the room and saw Jemma. She had a tear stained face with red puffy eyes. I shrunk back a little at the sight. I made her cry.

'She is just a ballet rat! Go back to your lair!' My mind shouted. I paid no attention to the voice inside my head though. Instead, I stopped my fast breathing to the point of which I was barely breathing. I didn't want to risk getting caught.

Out of sheer nervousness, I started to straighten my pants with my hands. The cool fabric rubbing against my hand calmed me down for what ever reason. I found that I had been looking out of the ground when I was in conflict with myself, so I looked back up.

Great! Just my luck! I just had to put the see through mirror here! Here of all places!

When I looked up I had seen Jemma getting undressed. Not that I had a problem with seeing that but…she is my friend! I can only think of Christine's nudity!

I pinched my leg to try and get the dirty thoughts out of my mind. I didn't need to think of any person's nudity. Yes, I am a man with urges, but no woman would ever take me as their lover, and I wouldn't take any other woman besides Christine.

I shook my head. I am not supposed to be thinking like this! I am the phantom! I should think of how to get Christine! Christine is the only one that I would want to wake up to in the morning time. She is who I would like to be tangled up in the sheets with at dusk. Christine is the woman who I want to be able to confined in. Christine is my everything!

I couldn't get the picture of Jemma nude out of my head. Damn! I shouldn't think about her like this! She is not the girl that I want so close to my body. She would not bring me pleasure! She never could! She couldn't even compete with Christine's beauty! There was no doubting though that Jemma was a beautiful girl.

Ah! Damn! I smacked my head in an attempt to get Jemma out of my head. At least those dirty thoughts. Instead I just looked back up at the two girls now talking.

"Maybe I will tell you where I was tomorrow. But all you may know tonight is that I was crying because of one stupid and idiotic man." Jemma said to Christine.

"Aren't all men stupid in their own ways?" Christine replied. The two girls laughed and then Christine blew the candle out. Even after just waking up, Christine was beautiful. That Is the girl that I want to wake up with each day. Fingers intertwined and body's so close we can feel each other's body heat.

The girls laid down and Christine was quickly asleep. She looked so beautiful.

Just as Christine fell asleep, Jemma's words hit me like a brick in the face. I made her cry. I had caused tears of sadness to run down her porcelain face. I frowned to myself. I knew I had gone a bit to far saying that she should die with her parents.

I continued to stand there just to watch Jemma sleep for whatever reason. Something alarmed me though. She was shaking. I put my ear up to the cold glass and heard silent sobs. I froze.

Damn! She was crying again! I stood there for a while longer and waited for her to stop crying, just watching over her.

When I was sure that she was asleep, I pulled back the glass and walked in. The change in temperature hit me right away as I suddenly felt warm air brush up against my body. I shut the mirror and walked up to the girls, taking a look at each with a close eye.

On my left on one bed lay my angel of music, Christine. I turned towards her and smiled. She is such a beautiful being. I pulled off my right glove and then extended my hand out to run a finger down her face, caressing her silk like skin. So soft and rich, just how I had always imagined it to feel like. I moved my finger up and down ever so lightly. Then I brought it up to her hair.

I took a few strands of her locks into my fingers and just held it. Even from here I could smell her rose like shampoo, seeped into her beautiful brown hair.

I dared look down at her body. She had kicked the blanket to the end of the bed. She was covered by a mere night gown of which showed off all of her curves. Though my eyes made their way to her breasts, I knew that even though she was asleep that it would be wrong for me to get even a quick feel.

Before that little voice inside of my mind could say anything to make me reach out and feel her body, I tore my gave away from my lovely little songbird.

I ogled over at Jemma. She was curled into a ball facing the wall. "Did I hurt you ami?" I ran my hand down her silken hair.

"Jemma….I know that you can't hear me right now but I am sorry. I have never said that before…to anyone. Then again I have never had a friend. I make many mistakes, more than most. One mistake that I do not wish to ever make is hurting you so bad that I lose you forever. Jemma my friend, something about you makes my heart skip a beat. When I look into your beautiful eyes, I forget about Christine, I forget about the world. Please Jemma, don't hate me. And please, I beg of you, do not die with your parents. I would never be able to forgive myself." I knelt down and kissed her head.

I stood straight up and turned around I pulled on my glove and then I froze in my place. I just kissed Jemma. Sort of. My lips touched her body so I suppose that is a kiss.

Oh no! That is not helping with the fact that I am trying to push her away! I needn't worry about some ballet rat!

I swiftly ran back to the tunnels and shut the mirror. Then I ran down a bit so that no one could hear me. "DAMN!" I then punched a rocky wall. I heard a crack and knew that it had come from my me.

I pulled my hand away and held it close to my chest. That really hurt! I may be the phantom, but I am still a man, a living and breathing human being who has urges and feels pain. Both emotional pain and physical. That right there was some serious physical pain. I shook my hand out and continued to walk.

Why did I kiss her? Why was I letting myself get so close to her? She is nothing but a bother! I'm not saying that she should die but…she should just leave me alone and mind her own life. Besides, if I did get to close to her, she might get hurt. I am not the safest man in the world to be around. I was surprised that I held myself back from hitting her today. Yes I did push her, but I could have done much worse.

I got into my gondola and slowly rowed down the lake. I stared at my reflection in the water for a while and then just stopped rowing. The boat would make it's way to land on it's own. I just needed to think and right now felt like the perfect moment for some deep thinking.

I stared into the mucky water. The water washes everything away. To bad it can't was all of my imperfections away. I have killed many people. My hands hold the blood of others. I lifted my gloved hands and looked at them with icy eyes.

Underneath my right glove, a stinging pain burned my hand. I paid no attention to that though. I just stared at my hands. Hands that have killed. I tore my gaze away from my hands which seemed to hold more than just pain. I looked into the water instead.

My white mask shone bright in the shaky reflection, only able to be seen by the fire sticks lined along the walls of my safe haven. Beneath my mask lay a monster's face. I wear this mask so that I don't have to face the horrid figure that stares back at me each and every time I sit in the boat and glance down at the water. Not even my own mother could stand my appearance.

As the boat continued to drift downstream, I continued to stare into the water. Oh how I wished in the depths of my cold heart that I could have a fair shot at life. The chance in life that every man has. A loving mother and father to support them in all of life's decisions. Friends to tell all of your secrets to. The ability to go where ever they please once they at the appropriate age to travel. The opportunity to meet a lovely woman.

I have met a woman. The right woman for me. Miss Christine Daze. No one person can compare to her beauty. When Christine walks into my sight, she doesn't know it, but my heart skips a beat. She just has a certain glow to her. When I saw her sing and perform in Hannibal, she gave a dazzling performance. One that I was proud of. She had confidence radiating all through out her body draped in a puffy pink dress dabbed with thousands of specks of sparkles.

That is why I love her. She is beautiful both inside and out. A bubbling ray of bright sunshine. If I were a regular man with dashing looks, I would have a chance with Christine. I would be able to ask her out to supper, pick her up in a rented carriage and bring her to a fancy restaurant. We would sit there and sip on some white wine while we talked and laughed about the things that had happened to us that day.

After supper, I would wrap my arm around Christine as we walked out of the restaurant together like a happy couple. I would then take her for a nice walk in the park to watch the sun set, hiding behind the hills and kissing us goodbye with it's magnificent orange and pink glow. I would be able to lean in and give Christine a kiss on her soft pink lips and watch her smile brightly under the now rising moon.

Once it got to dark out, we would walk back to the carriage together. I would hand her my coat for if she got chilled. She would smell of me. On the ride home, she would rest her head on my shoulder, ready to shut her precious eyes for the night.

Once we arrived at the Opera House, I would help her out and walk her to the grand steps. She would stand on her tip toes and peck my lips with a gentle and soft kiss. I would watch as she prances up the steps and out of sight. Then I would smile ear to ear like a complete fool.

Before I could think any farther into my fantasy of Christine, my body flew forward in the boat, but not enough to make me fall over. It was just a painful reminder that the boat had stopped and I was at the foot of my lair. I stood up and walked towards my kitchen. I rarely eat, but I keep all of my drinks in the kitchen. Along with a few other objects such as a first aid kit. I never know when Christine is going to break up with that fop and make the right choice by coming to me. What if she were to get hurt down here? Also…I am sometimes careless and stupid and sometimes get held up in one of my own traps. Or the times that I get overly angry at myself or the world and do something stupid…like punching a wall.

I reached up and opened the wooden cabinet and looked around. All I saw was scattered whisky bottles of which I kept up in the cabinet. They were not an alcohol worthy of being in the wine cabinet.

I pushed whiskey to the left and right and then I found it. The first aid kit. I took it out and slammed the cabinet door shut. Then I looked down at the first kit that I set on the counter. It was just a dusty oak box with some pain killers, gauze wrap with some bandages. I opened it up and coughed as the collection of dust flew towards me. When I was finished with my coughing fit, I took out the bandages, then I put the kit away.

I held the bandages lightly in my injured hand as I walked out to my grand organ. I took a look at my surroundings. Scattered music, pictures, blank paper, candles and some other random things that I used to build my sculptures of Christine. Yup, this is my life. A lonely life where my company is made by the mice that run away and the sculptures of Christine. Of coarse I also have my music. If it weren't for my music I would die of loneliness.

I pivoted towards my organ, sliding my legs underneath of it. I set the bandage roll on the music stand of the organ while I took off my right glove. I set my glove down and looked at my hand. It was red an swollen. Now it matched my face and chest from my many beatings as a kid.

I lifted the rolled up bandages from my organ and unraveled them. I took one and wrapped it around my hand, wincing a bit at the pain. I was sure I had broken my hand.

Once my hand was wrapped, I stood up. I needed some sleep in a real bed. I walked to the bed that both Christine and Jemma slept in. Jemma had even left my cape on the bed. I picked it up and held it to me. I didn't mean to, but I smelled it. The best smell in the world! Vanilla mixed with violets. I held the cape to my chest as I kicked my shoes off and fell onto the bed. It felt so good to be laying on a real bed. I had been sleeping in a sitting position for the past few nights. Now I was in a comfy bed and could think in peace.

Yes, I loved Christine, but was it possible to have a thing for a dancer? She is the only person to call me a friend and come close to me willingly. Not even Madame Giry could stand me. To the world I was a monster. To Jemma though, I was only a monster on the inside. Jemma was different. She saw something in me that not even I could see in myself.

Of course I had to be stupid and call her a whore and tell her to basically die. She didn't deserve that. What she said was indeed harsh, but she was right. I needed to get my act together and I think I now see that. I just hope Jemma can forgive me, as I would never forgive my self if she died. I am glade that she didn't do the wrong thing and do something stupid. Instead she went to her room. And the best thing, even though she was mad at me, she didn't tell of where she was. Not even to Christine. Just like she had promised when I first let her leave.

Jemma is indeed a loyal friend and I know that I never wanted to lose her. I will do what ever it takes to get her to forgive me for my actions. Christine will always be before Jemma though.

And with that I fell asleep, still holding my sweet smelling cape.

LINE

Alright, so at the end of each chapter, i will ask a question as in the beginning, I state one fact about myself. So my question is really easy today. What do you all think will happen in the next chapter? Comment what you think!


	7. Chapter 6- An Idea is Hatched

Here is another chapter! Do you like me posting so much?! I hope so! So, were any of your predictions right? Let's see! But first, a fact about me!...I lived in a foster home for about 1.5 years! And no, i was not adopted. I got to go home with my real Mommy and my little bro bro! Alright, well, I will let you all read on!

LINE

(Jemma's P.O.V)

I felt as if my body were being shaken. "Ugh…" I mumbled, still half asleep.

"Jemma…" The voice sounded far away, as if in another world.

"Shhh." I hushed the person and waved a hand aimlessly in the air.

"Jemma!" I felt a thump on my forehead and my eyes shot open. I knew right away that it was Christine. Whenever I refuse to wake up, she flicks me in the head. "Get up." She spoke in frantic voice which worried me. I bolted upright.

"What is it Christine?" I widened my tired eyes.

"We must hurry down! I thought it would be smart to arrive before any of the other girls so that they didn't hound you with to many questions first thing in the morning. This will give you time to wake up." I smiled at Christine and then looked out the window. The sky hadn't a hint of sun light. Stars still illuminated the night sky.

"Christine my friend, that is very sweet of you! May I ask though, what time is it?" She glanced down at a pocket watch on our nightstand.

"About 4 in the morning." My eyes grew even wider.

"Christine! We don't have to be up for another 3 or 4 hours!" I tossed my pillow at her but she moved out of the way and instead let it fall to the ground with a thud.

Christine put a perfectly manicured finger to her bright pink lips. "Jemma, the idea is NOT to wake up the other girls. Now, get your butt out of that bed this instant and change."

I shrugged a bit and pulled the covers from my body. Then I stood up, my bare feet hitting the cold wooden ground, sending a shiver up my spine. "Gosh mother!"

I walked to my wardrobe and opened it up. I pulled out a pair of clear leggings and a light blue skirt that flowed to my knees with it's ruffles. After I had my bottom half of my body dressed, I slipped on a tight, white long sleeve shirt that hugged my skin greatly. Then with a bit of help from Christine, I managed to get on a corset which was a shade of the lightest blue making it look almost white.

I took a look in the mirror and frowned. I didn't really have a  
reason to frown, it was just the shear fact that it was way to early  
and I had only gotten about 5 hours of sleep.

"What is the matter Boo?" Christine used my hated nickname. I got  
the nickname because I am so easily scared.

I spun to Christine. "First off, do not call me that. You know I  
hate that nickname." She just shrugged in a sympathetic way. "And  
second, I am tired. So if you don't mind, I would like to get down to  
the stage now. The sight of that place always makes me happy and glad  
to be awake for another day."

Christine smiled. "What ever you say Boo!"

I clenched my fists and took in a deep breath of air. Christine  
skipped out of the room with out even making a sound. I finished  
lacing my light blue ballet slippers and then trudged after my perky  
friend.

I made my way down the winding steps and to the grand foyer,  
Christine being a good mile ahead of me. Out of breath, I finally made  
it to the stage. It was dimly lite by the moon light and maybe a few  
candles of which Christine had stroke a match to.

"Did we start a new Opera?" I asked Christine as she waved her hand to put out the fire from a match.

"Indeed we did!" She pranced over to me. Gosh! How on earth could she be this hyper at 4 in the morning!?

"Is it as stupid as the last one?"

Christine had a look of utter disbelief on her face. "That was an amazing Opera Jemma! Are you stupid?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe I just didn't like it because La Carlotta was the star of it…again! Gosh! Why can't they let some other people audition?" I threw my hands up in the air.

Christine clicked her tongue and hung her head low. I stared at her as if she had 30 eyes on top of her head. When she jumped up oh so suddenly, it made me jump with fear. "Idea!" She pointed her finger to the roof.

Naturally, I looked up.

"Uh Jemma?"

"Yes Christine?"

"Why are you looking up?" I looked back down at her.

"You had pointed to the roof and I guessed that it meant you saw something. I don't know." Christine let out a small and short laugh. Then she put on a serious face. Man, when she isn't in public, this girl is as crazy as psychopathic killer!

"Well Jemma, my idea involves you and I. You see, we-" I cut her off mid sentence.

"Oh no! Not again! The last time I got involved in one of your crazy plans, I ended up ripping the phantom's mask off and getting screamed at!" I looked around nervously as if I expected Erik to be right behind me holding a noose.

"Jemma, I'm sorry about that but this time is different!" Her eyes widened making her face look like that of a puppy's.

I turned to leave so that I could go outside to get some air.

"Let the world see your talent Jemma! It is your time to shine!"

I quickly pivoted my body so that I once again faced my brunette friend. "What talent?" My eyes grew wide. She couldn't possibly have known about the fact that I sing! There was no way she could find out!

Christine rocked back and forth on her feet. "A little birdie told me." She nearly sung the words as they rolled off of her tongue.

I felt my eyebrows furrow together. Meg. "Did this birdie happen to have blonde hair and a big mouth?"

Christine just whistled. This was a mockery.

"Christine!"

"May-be." Christine looked at me with a smile.

Gosh! I knew I couldn't trust Meg! I know that she is my cousin and you should always trust family, but that is kind of hard to do when Meg is part of your family. I sighed. "What all did she tell you?"

"Well, she said that you were a good singer and that she loved your voice!" I felt a deep crimson blush paint my cheeks.

"Really!" I made eye contact with Christine. I was glad that Meg didn't say the whole part where I thought I wasn't as good as Christine. At least if she had told her, Christine didn't mention it to me. "Now, do you want to hear my idea?" Christine asked with a near pleading expression

As my blush slowly faded I decided to hear Christine out. "Alright. Go for it."

LINE

Alright, so i know I said that I would only ask one question, but this is a 2 part thing! 1- What do you think that Christine's plan is? And 2- If you were Christine, what would your idea be to get the world to see Jemma's talent? Alright, answer the question in a review! I alwars respond! Thanks and have a lovely night or day!


	8. Chapter 7- Plan

I just had to update more! Alright, so a few small facts about me. My favorite color is black, my favorite animal is a polar bear, my favorite food is Mac & Cheese, my favorite snack is Muddy Bears (Chocolate covered gummy bears) and Snow Caps! Alright, now, read on my lovelies!

LINE

(Christine's P.O.V.)

I smiled as I left the stage. Jemma stood with the other girls that had just woken up. I however, made my way to the grand foyer.

Once I was at the top of the steps, I smiled. I saw monsieur Firmin and Andre entered the Opera house. Firmin was holding a newspaper. Then he folded it and tucked it under his arm.

"Monsieur!" I shouted. I ran down the great steps.

"Mademoiselle Daae!" He frowned as I approached him. "Why are you not practicing?"

"Oh Firmin, I just HAD to ask you something!" I smiled and stood in front of him.

"Christine Daae, what else can you ask from us?" Andre but in. I looked between them both. "You have already landed the lead role in Hannibal."

"Yes yes. I do understand that. But I was wondering if by any chance what so ever you would he holding auditions for Faust?" I rocked back and forth on my heels.

"No no no!" Firmin strictly said.

"Absolutely not!" Andre cut in again.

"Why?" I put my hands on my hips and stood still as I put on my straight face.

"Why?" Andre mocked. He then let out a roaring laugh.

"Because our little flower;" he spat out a nick name I had earned. It wasn't meant to be a good nick name. More of a mock. ";can not have the world!" Firmin mocked, getting all in my face.

"I never said I wanted the world." I said through clenched teeth. I stomped the ground. "I merely asked for you to hold open auditions for Faust!"

The men backed up and then let their shoulders droop. Firmin let his head drop into his left hand. "With all do respect miss Daae, we are not holding auditions because there is no need. Someone has already landed the role." He mumbled.

"Let me guess;" I started. "The role has already been given up to-" I was cut short.

"Carlotta! Welcome back!" Andre gushed to the walking pineapple.

"Carlotta. Of course..." I mumbled into my palm.

"Yes yes. Now out of my way!" I heard Carlotta's wretched voice get closer to me. "Well well well. What do we have here? It looks like our little toad decided to hop off of her lily pad!" Carlotta spat in my face.

I moved my palm. "Carlotta..." I clicked my tongue.

"Please!" Carlotta pleaded. Age covered her ears. "Keep my name out of your mouth! Who knows where it has been!?" There were a few snickers from behind Carlotta.

"At least I'm getting some you evil woman!" I sung. Carlotta gasped and brought a hand to my face. I looked at her and saw a smiling face. I held my stinging cheek.

"No go! Move along and go practice with the other ballet rats and chorus toads!" Carlotta leaned down and spat on my shoe. I winced and shook it off. I turned around and walked up the steps.

"Time for plan 'B' " I muttered ever so quietly.

I kneeled over and 'fell' to the ground. "Ow!" I let out a howl of pain.

""Miss Daae!" Andre's shaking voice shouted. A few pairs of footsteps neared me. I held my ankle on the marble platform and forced fake tears out of my eyes.

"It hurts!" I cried. Firmin bent down next to me on my right side and Andre on my left.

"Christine! What in heaven's earth happened!?" Firmin tried to touch my ankle and when he did I pulled away and let out a sob.

"I...I was ever so hurt by your words that I just slipped!" I cradled my ankle as Andre and Firmin helped me sit up and lean against the wall.

"Miss Daae! We were only being honest and speaking the plain truth!" Andre tried to pry my hands from my ankle but I wouldn't let loose.

"Yes." I frowned and then began to speak through a fit of fake tears. "But you see, my friend...she only wanted this. She is a singer as well and wished for the lead. She has been working ever so hard. And so have I and many others. I feel you should at least take a moment and...and see that others have hidden talent. Not just me!" I cried some more.

Andre tossed his hands into the air. "Great! This 'Angel of Music' not only tutors you, but the rest of the opera house!" I was about to laugh but managed to gold it in.

"Do not talk about my angel in that matter! My friend and many others are simply multi-talented!" I let out another sob of pain.

"Well we are not giving in this time! Oh no!" Firmin wagged a finger in my tear stained face.

"I...I can sue you!"

The backed up a bit, their faces struck with shock. "You wouldn't." Firmin jokingly said.

I shook my head. "B-but I would. After all, it is your fault that I had fallen!"

Andre laughed. "Please do explain that one!"

I smiled a small smile. "Well, I do have this slap mark on my face." I turned to give them a good look at my face. The winced as if they felt my pain. "And I could easily say that the monsieur...Firmin got over heated, ran up to me, slapped me and then I tripped."

The managers stood up. "How dare you! You are a toad! The senora was right!" Andre shouted.

"A lying toad!" Firmin added.

Once my tears had all fallen, I smirked. "Who do you think the judge would be mist likely to believe? A fairly well liked singer with adoring fans, or 2 former junk yard owners?"

They looked at each other and folded their arms. "Scrap metal..." I heard Andre mutter under his deep breathing.

Finally the look of sour defeat crossed Firmin's face. "Oh fine! If you promise not to sue, we will have open auditions for each role!"

I smiled a slight smile, remembering that I was still in character. I looked over at Carlotta for a second and she looked outraged!

"This is madness!" She shouted. "The part is already mine!"

Firmin turned to 'her majesty'. "Well the part will forever be yours. So long as you pass auditions!" Then he turned and walked away. Andre followed after him.

I smirked at Carlotta who's jaw was still on the ground. "Ta ta!" I waved goodbye and hopped up. I brushed my bottom off for any dust and then skipped away. I could just feel Carlotta's intense glare.

I let out a small laugh as I skipped. "That was such an easy game to be played!

Line

Did you like the chapter? Alright, my question for you all is...If you were Christine, would that have been how you would get how you want? If not, what would you do to get the audition?


	9. Chapter 8- To Keep a Secret

Alright, here is another chapter! I am just wanting to post it all! Alright, so a fact about me... I always break my phone, so right now I am on my 9th phone! And I am 13 and that is in a span of about 2 or 3 years! And also counting the phones i borrowed for a while! Lol, I now have a protective case! Alright, read away!

LINE

(Jemma's P.O.V)

I stood in line and waited to be called up to audition. I turned to Christine who was standing behind me. "Christine Daae!" I playfully slapped her arm. "Did you really do all of this?"

She grinned ear to ear and nodded, her brown curls bouncing up and down. "Indeed I did Jemma!" She hopped up and down like some child.

"Liar!"

She shrugged. "It did take a bit of lying to get all of this!" She gestured to the stage and the people on it and in the red velvet chairs in the audience.

I let my jaw drop. "Christine! Are you wanting to prove all of the rumors true?" Christine laughed a bit.

"I would have thought that you would know me better by now Jemma. I care mire about my friends than some silly little rumors. Even if they are true..." Her eyes trailed off and I fought her staring up at box 5.

As if I read what was on her mind I said, "Christine, the phantom can only be your angel. Nothing more yet nothing less. You have Raoul, so don't think about Eri-the Phantom like that." Christine stared at me when I almost said Erik's name.

She wore an odd look for just a brief second, and if you didn't know her as well as I did, you would have missed it. Her expression lightened and she looked at me with her usual big brown glowing eyes that so many people loved. "So you do believe in the phantom!" I put a finger to my lips to hush her. "And my angel?"

I smiled. "Christine, you were there with me. I saw him with my own eyes. Of course I believe. Who else could have carried me off?" I chuckled.

Christine rested a hand on my shoulder. "Oh! That reminds me!" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "When Phantom carried you off, you guys looked rather cozy. Have you met each other before?"

I shook my head and wore a straight face.

"Really? Because when you looked into his eyes...you know what, never mind." She waved a hand in the air as if trying to erase her spoken words.

"No no, what were you going to saw?" I crooked my head to the side a bit.

Christine rolled her eyes. "I was going to say, when you looked into his eyes I saw something. The spark of a small fire between you both. I don't know really. I was standing behind you guys, but if you get what I'm saying..."

I blushed at what she thought. "Do you...do you really think so?"

Christine giggled. "Yes. He looked at you like...like Raoul looks at me. It seems as if Phantom only likes me for my voice. When he looks at you though, he has a different thought running through his mind. I saw that right then he was full of worry." Now I was confused.

"Worry? How?"

"You were shivering and wet. He was scared." Christine spoke slowly.

I looked up at box 5. I realized that I had not been up with Meg in a while. I guess she made some other friends finally. "Why would he be scared?" I asked Christine, never tearing my gaze from the box.

"Well gee Jemma;" out of the corner of my left eye I saw her place her hands on her hips. I turned to face her. "You were dripping wet, in a small dress and you were freezing. He was scared you would freeze maybe!" Christie smacked me upside the head.

"Ow..." I rubbed my head and we laughed.

"You know something Jemma?"

I tilted my head to let her know that I didn't know something.

"I think Phantom might-" Christine was cut short before she could finished telling me what she was going to say.

"Ejemmaline Marie Leon!" The stage hand had called me by my full bane of which I hated. I heard a few laughs and knew they were pointed towards my name, so I just looked at Christine.

"You will do fine. Trust me." Christine patted my back and then a stage hand came and ushered me on to the stage.

"But-" I was pushed to the center of the stage and was left with wonders of what Christine was going to day about Erik. Grr!

"Ejemmaline?" A man from down in the chairs of pure velvet, asked.

"Yes, and please, do call me Jemma. Not Ejemmaline." Jemma flinched by saying her name. She knew she was an orphan and should like the name her beloved parents gave to her, but she couldn't! She hated it! For so many years she was teased for her name. Only when she turned 13 did she get the nickname 'Jemma' from Meg. Once people began to call her Jemma, all of the teasing stopped at once.

"What ever kid. Now, do your thing or leave. I have a life too you know." The man spoke so that I just barely heard him. His nose was in the clipboard he was holding, so I couldn't see his face.

"All right…here I go." I stood on stage, frozen from stage fright.

"Any day now 'Jemma'" He mocked.

"Right…" I shut my eyes and fiddled with my fingers in front of my tutu. I was not exactly sure if the words coming out of my mouth were louder than a whisper, but I knew what I was singing.

_"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation _

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination_

_Silently the senses abandon their defenses _  
_Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor_

_Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender_

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day_

_Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light_

_And listen to the music of the night _  
_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams_

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar_

_And you live as you've never lived before _  
_Softly, deftly, music shall caress you_

_Hear it, feel it secretly possess you_

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind_

_In this darkness that you know you cannot fight_

_The darkness of the music of the night _  
_Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world_

_Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Let your soul take you where you long to be_

_Only then can you belong to me _  
_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication_

_Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation_

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power of the music of the night _  
_You alone can make my song take flight_

_Help me make the music of the night."_

I sung the song that Christine had sung for me, telling me that Erik sang it to her before she passed out.

I opened my eyes and heard clapping. "Go Jemma!" I heard Christine yell. I smiled a bit and blushe looked down. I contained the deep blush that painted my cheeks and looked up a bit. I looked at the chairs to see what the man's reaction was.

"Very good. I'm impressed." The man said in a rather dull voice. He looked up for once and after looking deep into his eyes, I saw that all he wanted to do was go some place else. Any place but here. Still, I couldn't hold back the blush that crept onto my face. "Christine Elizabeth Daae!" I was taken back a bit by the booming voice and nearly jumped out of my skin. I walked off of the stage the opposite way that I came on.

I looked up at Christine and gave her a thumbs up. 'Good luck.' I mouthed to her. She looked my way and smiled. I walked to the rows of chairs and took a seat in one near the back to watch her audition.

"I shall be singing a snippet of a song that Raoul and I wrote together." Christine said.

"Wow! A songwriter as well! Darn Christine, you sure are talented!" The dull man gushed. I rested my head in my hand. I wasn't jealous of Christine, just sometimes it does get a bit annoying. Christine this and Christine that. Anywhere I go I hear her name! But she supported me and so I shall support me because we are practically sisters! I rolled my eyes to see Christine, chin resting in hand. Christine had a rosy pink blush resting on her cheeks. Once she forced her blush to fade, she looked into the empty auditorium as if there was a crowd when in all reality it was just me, the dull man and a few maids of whom were dusting the seats and sweeping the ground.

_"Raoul. _

_I was never crazy for flowers,_

_I confess that nothing left me colder;_

_I could watch a daisy for hours_

_And I'd feel several hours older!_

_Lilacs and lilies, any bloom you please,_

_Never failed to make my sense freeze._

_But now I love each blossom that I see,_

_For a lovely little rose loves me._

_Now my life is crystalline, when I'm with my Christine,_

_With a girl like Christine,_

_How could I be blue?_

_Hand in hand we'll sing_

_Me and little Christine;_

_You will be beside me, it'll_

_Just be me and you._

_Oh!_

_I once heard a poem that goes:_

_"A rose is a rose is a rose"_

_Well I don't agree,_

_Take it from me,_

_There's one rose sweeter than any that grows!_

_And that's my Christine._

_You Just wait and see_

_Life is one sweet beautiful song to me._

_Now my life is crystalline."_

A pearly white smile spread across Christine's complex face.

"Darling, that was amazing! Beautiful pitch and beautiful song!  
You just might have a shot at the lead!" I heard the man say. I was  
able to tag him as a man with a different prospective for different  
people. To him I was a wannabe ballet rat and Christine was an angel  
floating on the whitest of clouds.

"Thank you very much!" I looked at Christine closely and saw a  
light pink blush paint her cheeks. I then looked at the man. I could  
only see the back of his bald head, but by the way his cheek bones  
pushed their way up to his ears, I could tell he was grinning.

"Next!" The man's cheek bones dropped and Christine pranced off  
of the stage with a skip to her step.

I sat straight up in my seat as Christine skipped up to me. "Hey Boo!"

"Christine…" I warned her in a joking voice. I stood up and  
walked to the aisle where I rested my hands on my hips.

Christine swatted the air with her hand. "Oh sha!" She giggled a  
bit. "You did very well!"

I allowed Christine's blush to jump to my face. "As did you  
Christine! I didn't know that you could write songs!"

Christine shrugged it off like she had been writing songs since  
she could walk. "And I didn't know that you had such a good memory!"

I tensed up a bit. "What do you mean?"

"You sang 'Music of the Night'. I was the one who told you about  
that." I looked down.

"I just liked the tune." I mumbled under my breath.

Christine rested her hands on my cheeks and lifted my face up so that I was forced to look her in the eyes. This made me giggle a bit. Christine gave me that deep and intense stare she gives me when she knows I am lying. I tried to look away, but she kept making me look her way. "Why did you really sing it Jemma?"

I shook my head. I refused to say.

"Fine. If you don't tell me why you sang that song, I will embarrass you."

"How?" I placed my hands on my hips again but never broke our gaze.

"I will…" Christine tore our staring contest and looked around. "I will stand up and tell the world that Jemma Leon loves the phantom!"

My eyes widened. "You wouldn't." I tested her. "I don't even love him!"

"I can spare one more lie." Christine let go of my face and walked off. She stood up on an end char. "Excuse me? Everyone!" Everyone who was on stage turned towards us but said nothing. I could almost guarantee that every man was just taking in Christine's beauty.

"Christine!" Christine looked down at me with a grin.

"My friend-"

"I will tell you! Just get down!" With the crazy hand gestures and stomping my feet, I probably looked like a crazed monkey. Christine put on a pretty smile for me.

"My friend;" I face palmed myself. "My friend and I would like to wish everyone good luck if you have yet to audition!" I was relieved as Christine stepped back down onto the ground. "Thank you!" Christine then walked up to me. "Spill."

"He is my friend and so I sang that song. I also really loved the tune." I did my best to hide the blush that threatened to burn my face.

Christine stroked her chin as if she had a bushy beard. I had to bite my tongue to hold back laughter and keep a serious face. "Can I assume that you were with the Phantom when everyone thought that you were missing?"

I looked down. I had sworn to secrecy that I would not tell of his lair. Was Christine an exception though? She already knew about Erik's hideout. "Maybe." I murmured under my breath.

I felt a slap on my arm. "Jemma you dog!" Christine said excitedly. I looked up at her to see her smirking wildly.

"Christine! I would never!" I slapped her arm back.

"Well you can't tell me that you did any more than I did with him." I looked into her eyes, obviously getting the wrong impression. "Oh I told you what we did! Now, give me the details!"

I dropped my faint smile and blush when I remembered the happenings that made me want to go back to my room so quickly just last night. "No." Even though I was mad at him with a burning passion right now, gave me no right to break the promise I made the first night that I rowed away in his boat. I did tell Christine that I was with him only because she is my best friend and she has been down with him as well. I was not going to speak of our time together however.

"Please?" Christine whined and held her hands together as if begging.

"No."

"Jemma, I am your best friend besides Meg. You can tell me anything. Meg is the one who blabbed about your secret voice which by the way is beautiful. The point is that I am not one to spread secrets. I have plenty of mine that you keep." Christine folded her arms over her chest.

"No Christine. I do know that you keep secrets, but I keep promises and I promised not to speak of the Phantom." I was silently pleading for Christine to understand.

"You know what, what ever. Forget I said anything." With that said Christine walked past me, bumping shoulders on purpose. She walked out of the auditorium leaving me to just stand there like a fool.

I silently walked from my place after a few moments and looked around. I was mad at Erik and so I couldn't go crying to him and I shared a room with Christine so I couldn't go there either. I sighed an just walked aimlessly until I stood in front of the door to the maid's closet. I opened the door and walked in. I shut the door behind me, leaned against the wall with brooms and mops and slid down. I pulled my knees to my chest and let tears fall down my face.

I was mad at Erik and still I kept his secret which made one of my only 2 friends mad at me. This is what I get for getting close to the Phantom of the Opera.

LINE

So, did you like it? Alright, 2 questions right now! 1- Do you think that ever since Raoul has come into her life again, Christine has become a bit conceded? 2- What would you feel inside if you were Jemma and all of that just happened to you? Remember, answer in the comments/reviews! I respond to all!


	10. Chapter 9- Forgive Me?

Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but another chapter is soon to come! But a fact about me...I am hopefully going to start ballet and opera lessons soon just like in Phantom of the Opera!

LINE

"Christine has become a cocky girl with her new found talent. At least she has a back bone now." A deep voice filled the air in the small closet I was in. Unfortunately I knew this deep voice.

I lifted my wet face from my knees but saw that I sat alone. "Gee Erik, aren't you one for starting conversations." I stood up and sighed. "Now I'm just going to leave now." I reached for the door handle but a man dressed in all black fell from no where and stood before me. "Ah!" I let out a scream.

"It's just me Jemma." Erik said in a soothing voice. He reached his right arm out and rested a hand on my shoulder. I pulled away though.

"Don't touch me!" I stood my ground and looked up. "No if you would ever so kindly MOVE!" I stepped up to Erik. We were about a hair away from being chest to chest.

Erik let out an almost evil chuckle from the pit of his stomach. His chest shook and so did mine. I took a step back. "Gross." I muttered under my breath.

"I may go where ever I please." Erik's white mask was painted black in the darkness. "Did you forget who own this Opera house?"

"How can I forget?" I could feel Erik's smirk in the blackness and so I as well plastered a smirk. "Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur Andre." I placed my hands on my hips.

"Do not test me child."

"First off, do not ever call me a child again! And second, I am ninety-nine percent sure that if I gave you any type of test, you would be to dumb to pass it." I could feel the tension build in the small space.

Erik poked me in the chest right between my bosoms. For some strange reason, I didn't move his hand out of weirdness. Instead I let his finger linger between my breasts. "But it is that one percent of my greatness that makes you love me." If Erik was trying to apologize, he could just add this to the moments that he would need to say sorry for.

I let out a laugh. "Love you? Ha! It seems everyone thinks that I love you!" Really. "Now please move." I was a bit calmer.

Erik moved his finger from my chest and placed both hands on my shoulders. It was completely dark in the closet so I wasn't able to see Erik's facial expression. I wondered if it was anything like mine. Shocked. I felt those wild sparks when he touched me.

"I never was good at saying sorry." He said in a hushed voice, sending shivers up and down my spine and making the hairs on my neck stand up.

"I can tell." I swallowed a lump that formed in my throat for some reason.

"I may not be good at saying sorry, but I can try." Erik's words sounded like they came from the heart. A small smile formed on my face.

"Jemma, I apologize greatly for harming you both verbally and physically. You didn't deserve it. Also, I am sorry for telling you that you should die with your parents. You are my only friend and if you died I would literally go insane." I was stunned. Here he was, the Phantom of the Opera, spilling his heart out to a measly ballet rat.

"And you are much more than a stupid ballet rat." My first thought was that he read my mind. Then I remembered the comment he had made more than once about me being a stupid ballet rat. "You Jemma Leon, are my friend." I didn't know that he knew my last name. Maybe I told him and forgot. Or he heard it around. Any way, he knew it.

Then my smiled faded. I was his friend. My slight hope of ever becoming more than friends faded at his comment but still, being friends was better than being the subject that he tested his new pranks on. He had Carlotta for that. "We are friends?" I asked in a much smaller voice than his.

"That is what I was lead to believing." His voice had an odd edge to it.

"Would you ever hurt me?"

"No, why would you ask that?" He sounded a bit offended.

"Well, you dropped a dead Joseph Bouquet on top of me while I was dancing." I decided not to bring up the time he pushed me when I took off his mask because that was my own fault.

"You really think I would harm you." He stated.

"Maybe if you got mad." I was unsure but still scared.

"Well we must be great friends if you don't believe me when I say that I will never hurt you." He was raising his voice.

"Erik-"

"Goodbye Jemma." With a breeze of air, Erik was gone and I was left standing alone. For a moment, the place was a sanctuary for mending friendships, but now I was just standing in a closet.

LINE

Do you think that Erik would ever hurt Jemma again?


	11. Chapter 10- The Rose Code

Guess what!? Erik is back in this chapter! YAY! Now, a fact about me! I first saw 'The Phantom of the Opera' in music class. I had missed the beginning and I got in trouble a few times for making comments about the movie quietly while as everyone else was talking.

LINE

It had been a week since I last saw Erik. I decided that it would be best for me to just let him be instead of going on a wild goose chase to find him.

Everyone in the Opera house who had auditioned which consisted of around 100 people plus the orchestra, were either on the stage or in the auditorium. The managers were about to announce the who got which role. I stood alone in the back of the auditorium not wanting to be seen by anyone. Christine still hadn't talked to me and somehow she had gotten Meg to shun me as well. I wasn't alone though because loneliness was always with me.

I leaned against the wall in a very unladylike manor. One foot on wall and the other on the ground. My dress was hiked up to my knee of the leg on the wall.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The gray haired manager shouted. Talking still filled the vast space. As I believe, I was the only one who miraculously heard him and looked up.

"L-ladies and Gentlemen!" Still no one looked up at the aging managers except for me. I smirked at their annoyance.

Finally Madame Giry stepped onto stage and clanked her cane against the wooden floor. I saw this coming and so I might have been the only person who did not have a near heart attack at the sudden noise. The managers thanked Madame Giry with a slight nod of the head as the elderly woman walked off stage to attend to something else.

"We have here the casting list for this up coming production of Faust!" Firmin said. Everyone clapped and a smile formed on Andre's face as if he had just done something amazing when all he did was stand there like a log.

"We will go through the list starting with the chorus!" Andre shouted. Firmin began to read off some names and I heard Isa's name! She got bumped up to a chorus girl which when looking over at her made her so happy.

"Now the dancers!" Firmin stated loudly and proudly. I came to the conclusion that these managers were a bit cocky and full of themselves.

They began to rattle off the names of ballet dancers. "The lead ballerina for this here Opera will be Miss Meg Giry!" The old one said. Everyone turned to face the blushing ballerina on the stage and clapped.

"The orchestra!" Andre said. He read off about 20 names. Then everyone clapped.

"And now for the major roles!" Most everyone stopped their whispering.

The names went on and on yet still I didn't hear my name. Maybe I wasn't even in it! They can't cast everyone.

"And now for our leads!" The room fell hushed. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop…on the carpeted floor. "Faust will be played by none other than Monsieur William Deston!" I looked up from fiddling with my fingers to see a man on the stage smiling a 1000 watt smile and waving to the crowd. I had to admit that he was pretty handsome with his light brown hair and glowing green eyes. I felt a small blush creep onto my cheeks as he waved in my direction.

"And our leading lady Marguerite shall be played by Mademoiselle Ejemmaline Leon!" I froze on the spot as all eyes turned to me. My blush grew a darker share of red as people began to clap for me. I smiled a bit and then sat down in a seat.

Everyone turned to hear what else the managers had to say about the play. I was to lost in thought to listen to them though. Me? The leading female? No way.

The room began to empty out; the ballerinas heading backstage to practice toe point and new dance moves, the chorus heading to a separate room to rehearse new songs and the orchestra playing a light tune in the pit.

I looked down at my average clothing and wondered how I could have landed the lead. The must have been a mistake! I mean, Christine's voice is as her song said. Crystalline. My voice is just plain. Everything about me is plain!

Lost in thought, I was totally oblivious to the fact that the cute boy was walking up to me until he tapped on my shoulder. "Ejemmaline?" My head shot up with surprise. There he was, the boy who made my heart flutter just by him saying my name. My real name.

"It's Jemma." I corrected with a smile.

"My bad Jemma. I'm William." He held out a hand for me to shake. I stood up and shook it. Then we just stood in the middle of the red velvet covered room.

"Hi." I was sure that I was blushing at least a little bit.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Jemma." He still held my hand and he raised it to his lips to lightly kiss my knuckles. I was positive that I was blushing as red as a tomato now. If William noticed, he was doing a damn good job at not saying anything.

"I could say the same."

"Say Jemma, are you new here? I have never seen you around." Well that offended me a bit.

"No. I have been here for about 10 years." I let out a fake laugh.

"Well then I must have been blind for about 10 years to not have caught sight a beauty like you." I smiled as he still held my hand, refusing to let go.

"You are truly to kind William."

"I do try." He smiled his grand smile. "Now Jemma, I will catch you later. I must go attend to some other business." He kissed my knuckles again. "Till later mon cher." William bid me good day and then walked off towards the stage to talk to an orchestra member.

I smiled to myself and glanced over at William. Him and the violin player were talking and laughing and high fiving. The violinist was probably congratulating William on landing the lead role.

I turned my back to the 2 men and walked away to go sit on the roof where the view is amazing.

I walked up many steps and to the roof. The snow rest atop the roof like a cold blanket.. The snow was there, but that didn't mean that today was the coldest of all days. In fact it was just right for me. It was warm, but the chilled breeze is what was nipping at my nose.

I let the door slam shut behind me as I absentmindedly walked around the roof. Coming up here was always so nice because I felt free, one with the wind.

I walked over to the statue that Erik ran up about a week or two ago. I touched the base nimbly with the tip of my fingers and smiled a bit. It faded though when I remembered how Erik ad said goodbye earlier. I would never see him again.

I took a step up and remembering how Erik got up, I placed my feet in the same spots until I was between the wings. I took a seat on one of the wings. So that I was looking over the side of the Opera House. I allowed the wind to whip my hair back in all crazy positions. It felt nice.

"Momma, daddy, I did it. I hope you are proud of me. I am the lead in the Opera. I get to sing my heart out. I am finally following my dreams." I spoke a prayer to my parents out loud since I was alone.

I swallowed a gulp in my throat and continued to speak. "I am always so scared that you would think so little of me because I am just a dancing rat as many say. I wonder if you will be watching the Opera from up above or even if you want to. Momma, daddy, I love you and I hope you love me too."

I sat still for a few minutes just staring at the bustling city of Paris. Everyone had a life with a family and a back story. They were all doing something right now and I was just sitting here.

I sighed and turned to get down as you would on a ladder. Standing backwards. I got to the roof and wiped my hands off on my soft blue dress.

"You should be careful while climbing that." A voice said. I spun around to see Erik. Instead of being mad at him, I smiled like a fool.

"Erik!" I ran up to Erik and wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. I rested my head on my neck and felt him stiffen up and take a step back. I didn't care what he did though. This was the loneliest week of my life and I finally had my Erik. Wait, did I really just think that? My Erik?

I pulled my head back to look into his blue eyes. I missed those eyes. "Please don't ever say goodbye again!" I pleaded with him. He still wore a straight face but I could have sworn I saw the edges of his mouth threatening to form a smile. I jumped off of him.

"Yup. Great to see you as well Jemma." He said with sarcasm

I saw that he had one hand behind his back. His right hand. "Is something wrong with your hand Erik?"

"You are a smart one aren't you?" He put his hand in front of his chest and I noticed 2 things. One, his hand was bandaged and two, he held a rose.

"What happened to your hand Erik?" I took his hand in mine and he pulled away wincing.

"That is not important."

"If it caused you to bandage your hand then yes it is."

"No it isn't Jemma. Don't worry about it." Erik rested the back of his left hand on my right cheek.

"Are you alright now at least?" Worry filled my eyes.

"Yes I am."

"Good."

Erik smiled the faintest of smiles and held out his right hand with the right rose. "This is for you. A way of congratulating you on landing the role of Martha." Erik drew his left hand back to his side as I took the flower.

"You aren't giving this to Christine?"

"I have other roses for her. This one is for you." I smiled. "Do you know why I gave you a white rose?"

I shook my head. "No, why?"

"Because a white rose symbolizes purity. An angelic personality." Erik took my arm and spun me around causing me to giggle when I stopped. Erik took the thorn-less rose from my hand and stuck it in my hair.

"How does it look?" I patted my hair.

"Angelic."

I smiled. "Tell me Erik, you give Christine a red rose. Does that have a meaning?"

"Every rose has a meaning ma petite fleur." I smiled at his calling me his little flower. "I give Christine a single dark red rose with out thorns. If you are given a single dark red rose, it means that you have unconscious beauty and that the person that gave it to you loves you. If your rose does not have thorns, it means that the rose giver fell in love with you at first sight."

I felt the rose in my hair. "My rose does not have thorns Erik." I looked at him with my big brown eyes and pushed a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

"I must go now."

My small smile faded. "When will I see you again?"

"I do not know. Goodbye Jemma." he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. Then he ran inside, cloak brushing against my body.

I had so much to think about now! I stood in my place, cold and frozen like a statue. I rubbed my cheek lightly. Erik kissed my cheek and then left. He also gave me a thorn-less rose which meant love at first sight. I was highly confused.

With the wind whipping me and rain beginning to fall, I began to get cold. I lifted a leg and took my first step since Erik kissed me on the cheek. I then walked to the door. This has been an eventful day.

Wait, Erik said goodbye which as he has proven means I will not be seeing you anymore. He came back last time, but who knows how long it would be until I see him next.

LINE

So, what do you all think of William?


	12. Chapter 11- The Bet

Fact about me! ... I am addicted to soda! On my floor i have 5, 2 liter soda bottles and 3 regular sodas, and one can! Im addicted! Best birthday gift? A lifetime suply of coke, pepsi, or cream soda!

Sorry that this is short, but there is more to come!

LINE

(William's P.O.V.)

"Is that Ejemmaline?" my friend Jacob asked with a grin. He held his violin in one hand and in the other hand, he swung the bow.

I let out a small laugh. "Yes. That is Ejemmaline, and she likes to go by Jemma."

"Ejemmaline, Jemma. Her name could be Tim for all I care!" I laughed again. "Bottom line is she is hot!"

"Yeah."

"Man, she is like one of your harlots but with more class. A classy harlot."

I guess." I mumbled, mind on another planet as I watched Jemma walk off.

"So are you going to work your usual William magic on her?"

I snapped back to earth. "What?"

"You know, work your magic?" Jacob knitted his brows together. "Man, you know. Meet a girl and charm her for two weeks. Then get under her dress?"

"Well…"

"Don't say that she is different. You just met her."

"There is something about her." I smiled inwardly.

"Don't go getting all cheesy on me." Jacob warned playfully.

"I'm not just-"

"Just what?" He questioned.

"She looks shy. Usually I work my so called 'magic' on outgoing women. She is but a shy girl. No older than 18." I put on a straight face.

"Do you want to lose the bet? You came here with me so that you could get girls. Don't bail out on me."

"Bail out?" My head really was in the clouds.

"The bet. Man you are lost." I shrugged and he sighed. "If you don't get in her panties and hand me the panties as proof, you have to randomly kiss Madame Giry."

"That old woman?" I shuddered.

"Don't act like this is new news to you."

"Sorry." I shrugged again.

"I must go practice William, but remember, 2 weeks only!" He turned and ran to the pit.

2 weeks to get inside of a young girl. No problem.

LINE

Two questions for this chapter! 1- Do you think that William will be able to 'get with' Jemma in 2 weeks? 2- Has your opinion on William changed at all?


	13. Chapter 12- Guardian Angel

I know, I know. Another short chapter. Sorry, but the next chapter will be way longer! Alright, a fact about me!...Well, I am totally in love with the show 'Shameless' on Sho Time! And I love Emmy Rossum and Emma Kenney on that show! Their instagram's are Emmy Rossum= emmyrossum and Emma Kenney= emroseeekenneey so follow them and tell them that I, Brianna, phantomphan4life (thats my instagram) told you to follow them!

LINE

(Erik's P.O.V.)

"Why? Why did I do that? How could I be so foolish?" I mumbled to my self as I arrived at my lair.

_Because you like her! _One voice in my head shouted. I shook my head.

_You don't like her! You just feel bad for her! _The other voice in my head shouted. _She is like you. Helpless and meaningless. _

"Jemma has meaning!" I shouted. I realized that I was talking to thin air, but it helped to clear part of my mind speaking out loud.

Indeed she does! Hence the thorn-less rose.

The kinder voice in my head spoke. I nodded.

Fool! You gave her a thorn-less rose thinking of Christine! Jemma is nothing compared to the Swedish beauty that is Christine Daae!

"Get out! Get out of my head!" I yelled in an attempt to rid of my own demon. I stormed over to my pipe organ and with out thought slammed my hands on a group of keys which made my head ach and my ears feel like they were going to bleed.

That will not get rid of me! I am your common sense! I speak the truth and nothing but the truth!

That voice mocked me in loathing pity. _Now forget Jemma and her foolishness and finish the Opera! Finish Don Juan Triumphant! For Christine!_

Christine. My love. My one true love. _Yes, you love Christine. Not a wannabe ballet rat who stole the lead role in Faust from Christine!_

_Jemma is right for the lead! She will shine as she is meant to! After all, Christine does not need you any more! Her heart has found it's missing piece with Raoul's! Focus on Jemma! The girl who saw your face and didn't run!_

I ran my fingers over my unfinished copy of 'Don Juan Triumphant'. The good and bad voices in my head fought as I sat down on my wooden organ bench.

Christine may hold Raoul's heart, but if you finish this opera, then you may hold hers!

I had worked so hard for Christine, true and Jemma meant nothing. As said one thousand times, now one thousand and one, she is nothing but a dancing rat! An evil grin formed on my face

Yes, work for Christine! Write the opera and show yourself at the masquerade in 3 months! Demand that they play the opera and that they follow your every demand! And then, take the fat man's place and seduce Christine into a weak girl so that she will have your arms to fall into!

That evil voice in my head came up with quite a brilliant idea, pushing away all good thoughts about Jemma.

"And what of Jemma?" My evil frown turned into a partial smile as I thought of the kiss on the cheek I gave her.

It is times like these that I wish I was a normal man with normal thoughts. Not an angel and a devil inside of their head taking full control of their mind.

A normal man would have a normal attitude. I have ten mood swings a minute! I go from hating Jemma to thinking pure hearted thoughts of her. It isn't right!

_If you must get Christine that way, keep Jemma in mind. It is no lie that you have an unlit fire sparking between you both. _I shrugged inwardly at the angel in my head. _Watch over her. Protect her from life. She may be her own worst enemy._

I rested my hand on the organ and nodded to my self. I opened up 'Don Juan Triumphant' and took out a quill and dipped it in ink.

She shan't need to see me anymore. She does not NEED me in her life.

Well, maybe for one the good voice in my head IS right. I can watch her from afar to eye trouble before it happens and stop it. I will not speak to her, merely watch over her. Her guardian angel and distant friend.

LINE

Do you think that Erik made the right choice?


	14. Chapter 13- The Monster is Shown

Here is a long chapter as promised! And one fact, my role models are Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Emmy Rossum, Emma Kenney, Edgar Allan Poe, Gaston Leroux, and Andrew Lloyd Webber!

LINE

It had been yet another week since I had spoken to Erik. It tears my heart apart not seeing him for so long. It makes me wonder if I had done something to upset him.

As for my friends, well, I have been alone for the week. Christine has strayed far from me and when ever we came near. I don't understand it. I mean, do I have some type of odor that only she can smell?

What pains me even more is that Meg has been off dancing and talking with the ballerinas in the play. She is my one dear cousin and she doesn't even have time for me! It is as off everyone is avoiding me!

A few times this week I have caught the chorus girls pointing at me and laughing among mindless chit chat. When ever I caught their wandering eyes, I looked elsewhere as I tried to held back tears.

I wondered if anyone knew that their words were hurting me.

Oh! How could I forget about our dear diva Carlotta! Purposefully bumping into my shoulder when ever she walked past me which seemed to happen 5 times a day at least!

Once this week, Carlotta 'accidentally' spilled cold water over top my head, at lunch! I was just silently eating my small lunch of bread and butter when heavy footsteps inched near my table. It was just me and 2 greasy stage hands.

"Well well well;" I spun around in my seat, my face showing less expression than a brick. "If it isn't our little princess Ejemmaline!"

"It's Jemma." I merely stated.

"Well Ejemmaline fits you better." I raised an eyebrow. "A foolish name for a foolish little girl!"

I scowled at her.

"Of coarse you could never compare to me! Oh and trust me Ejemmaline;" I hated that she was bringing back my wretched name. "If I could take some of my talent and sprinkle it on you, I wouldn't!" The cafeteria filled with roaring laughter.

"Gee thanks." I said plainly and full of sarcasm.

"But I can do one thing to help you out!" Carlotta gestured to my face. I raised an eyebrow.

Carlotta smirked and lifted her cup of water so that it was hovering over me. Then, with out hesitation, she poured it over my head!

My brown locks stuck to my face, letting water drip onto my face and down my dress.

"Better!" Carlotta barked. Once again, laughter surrounded me. I turned my head a bit to take in a few faces. It looked as if some of them were forcing laughter. Maybe I was wrong, but I thought that a few people were faking a laugh so that they seemed 'cool'.

I didn't feel like fighting with her then so all I did was glare at her. I stood up and ram to the nearest wash room. Looking in the mirror, all I saw was a disgruntled girl with matted hair and dripping makeup.

My eyes dropped at the eight of this sport girl. I wondered where woeful was when I needed Jim most.

I leaned against the wall and slid down it until I was sitting. I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my head in my send. Then I let tears of humiliation spill out of my eyes.

That was just the worst of all 7 days away from Erik.

"Ejemmaline!" I sighed as Madame Giry snapped at me making my thoughts fade into nothingness.

"If you are going to call me by that name then I shall call you aunt. Aunty Antoinette." She called me by my child name and so I decided to call her by the name I called her in my letters from America to France.

A few girls giggled when I called my aunt by her first name. I looked into Madame Giry's eyes and saw that she was fuming!

"Just focus on dancing Jemma! Get your head out of the clouds and stop day dreaming! You will get no where if you are living in a dream world!" I rolled my eyes and slouched as she stomped her long cane on the wooden ground.

"Posture Jemma, posture!" She put one hand on my stomach and the other on my back. Then she made me stand straight up.

I heard a crack in my back and gritted my teeth together. "Practice your moves starting from 5th position. Remember, your part could easily be given to another girl such as Christine." I really wasn't in the mood to hear talk about how great Christine was and how I never should have landed the part.

Madame Giry tapped her cane on my feet just hard enough to get the point across but not to hurt me. With that's she turned and walked away to snap some other ballerinas into shape.

I sighed again and did a few stretches. I then stood up and practiced the moves again. I don't exactly love dancing, but I don't hate it. When I am on stage it feels nice to hear the applauds. Now though, they will be clapping only for me. That thought brought a smile to my face as I rehearsed all of the moves that I was thought. I spun around on the stage until my dance was over. I was sweating a bit and so I just stood there to catch my breath.

I looked out at the chairs which people would soon be seated in. I smiled a bit again and began to think of what it would be like to have roses tossed at my feet as Christine and Carlotta had had done.

The sound of someone clapping behind me snapped me out of my simi day dreaming and wishing. I spun around on my heels. I smiled like a total fool when I saw William standing only about 4 feet away clapping his hands together.

"Just one week of practicing and already perfect! I'm amazed." I felt my cheeks head up and I knew that I was blushing as he took a step forward towards me.

"I have seen you practicing as well. Not to bad William. Not bad." I smiled and forced my blush back so that I looked like a normal girl rather than a clown.

"Trust me honey, you haven't seen anything yet!" He flicked my nose and I let out a giggle.

"And neither have you!"

William smiled a gorgeous smile. "So Jemma, I was thinking, would you like to go out for dinner one day this week?" He shrugged a bit. Gosh he can be cute!

"Like a date?"

"Not like a date, a date." He flashed another pretty boy smile.

I was at a loss for words. "Well…"

"Please?" He made a cute puppy dog face! How ca I resist?

"Well you see, I would really love to go on a date with you William, but I must practice a bunch this week." I mentally kicked myself. My first chance to go on a date and I turn the boy down.

"Oh. I see." He said sadly.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we can do something after the show?" I asked William.

"Yeah. Or we could grab a lunch after practicing." He more demanded it then asked.

"I'm sorry William but I can't" I turned around and began to practice a few more moves. When William was demanding us to go out to lunch he had a kind of maniac look in his eyes. It was creepy.

As I practicing a few slow dance moves while running lines through my head when a hand tightly gripped my shoulder and spun around. I froze mid spin as I was very startled and shocked. It wasn't a friendly grip on my shoulder rather than a painful one.

Once I was fully spun around, I looked up and saw William who was glaring down at me. I was positive that I looked like a frightened puppy dog in his grip. I tried to free my arm from his hand, but he only squeezed harder.

"I expect you to keep that promise." He darkly said.

"Wh-what promise?"

"Dinner, stupid!" He kept his voice low so that no one heard him beside me. His voice might have been low but it held all the same power and darkness.

"O-ok." I nodded my head vigorously.

"Good girl." He released his grip and patted my cheek. He flashed his amazing smile as if nothing had happened which creped me out.

William turned and walked off, leaving me frozen in place and scared to death.

LINE

So I actually have a few questions! I love it when you answer them, but could you at least answer one? Thanks! 1- If you were near, would you have stopped Carlotta from being so rude o Jemma? 2- What do you curently think of William? 3- If you were Jemma, would you have had the nerve to push William off of you? Remember, I always respond!


	15. Chapter 14- Falling into Faust

Fact, When I saw the Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies, in theaters, I stood and cheered with my friend and got laughed at by the theater! 4 kids from our school were there and so was a teacher!

LINE

As William, sang his song as Faust, I knew that it was about time for me to go back on to the stage. In the mean time, I had a few moments to think.

I took a look at box 5 hoping that I would see Erik, but the curtains were shut. I frowned a bit just thinking of my Erik. My Erik? Gosh I'm crazy sometimes!

I really missed him and wanted to see him some time soon. I would have gone down to his lair on my own since I know the way, but using my better judgment, I had decided that it would be best if I let him come to me in fear of going down and upsetting him.

I wondered if he was mad at me for something. I pondered that thought a bit. Maybe he was mad at me for getting the part of Marguerite! It wasn't my fault though! I was just auditioning for that part as Christine had wanted me to!

Oh no! That was it, it had to be! Erik was mad that I had landed the role of the leading lady and Christine had been knocked back down to a chorus girl for this opera! I wondered why it had taken me almost 2 weeks to figure this out? I mentally face palmed myself.

As soon as I heard the orchestra stop and the audience clap, I knew that William's song was over. I plastered a smile on my face and skipped onto the stage.

I quickly snapped into my character mid step and then I was not Jemma for the time being, I was Marguerite.

I opened the door that allowed me to leave my grand house after hearing a knock. I looked down with wide eyes. There, sitting on the foot mat was a beautiful, maroon colored box! I bent over and picked up the box. I was completely and utterly shocked! Inside the box were quite a few jewels of many different colors! Bright red, green, blue! All so wonderful!

I walked back into my house and shut the door. I skipped gleefully back to my sewing room, clutching the box tightly. I plopped down on my stool at my spinning wheel and gleamed at the gems. They were so beautiful and I just couldn't get over that fact!

I picked up each gem individually and with great care. I spun them around, taking a look at them very closely. I smiled as I set the each back down and got to spinning a blain dress for a maiden.

For a short second, I snapped out of character to think. If Erik were here, would he be proud of my performance? Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced up at box 5 and I could have sworn that I saw the curtains move!

Before I even had time to have a mini heart attack, it was time for me to sing a song. I loved singing so I was alright with snapping out of my thoughts for a song!

"Je ris de me voir  
Si belle en ce miroir,  
Ah! je ris de me voir  
Si belle en ce miroir,  
Est-ce toi, Marguerite,  
Est-ce toi?  
Réponds-moi, réponds-moi,  
Réponds, réponds, réponds vite!  
Non! Non! ce n'est plus toi!  
Non...non,  
Ce n'est plus ton visage;  
C'est la fille d'un roi;  
C'est la fille d'un roi!  
Ce n'est plus toi,  
Ce n'est plus toi,  
C'est la fille d'un roi;  
Qu'on salut au passage!  
Ah s'il était ici!  
S'il me voyait ainsi!  
Comme une demoiselle  
Il me trouverait belle, Ah!  
Comme une demoiselle,  
Il me trouverait belle,  
Comme une demoiselle,  
Il me trouverait belle!  
Marguerite, Ce n'est plus toi!  
Ce n'est plus ton visage;  
La, ce n'est plus ton visage;  
Qu'on salut au passage!"

I sang 'The Jewel Song' in complete French. All the while, I pranced around holding the dress. Jemma was still masked by Marguerite for the time being so I just skipped and sang a song about how happy I was that I had gotten the gems. I was just so happy that I had received these gems! I was looking into a white mirror. The gems made me feel truly like a princess.

As I finished singing and prancing and all of that good stuff, I skipped off stage. A few people looked at me, but no one said anything.

I walked to a wooden chair and took a seat and just as I did, a stage hand walked up to me and handed me a cup of water.

"Thank you." He was younger and fairly well kept. He probably couldn't even hurt a fly unlike some of the older more greasy stagehands who wouldn't hesitate to corner a girl.

He nodded a goodbye and walked away.

I drank the water and leaned back until I had to go back on stage. I decided that I should try and preoccupy myself by thinking of something other that if Erik was in box 5.

I shook my head, trying to rid all thoughts of Erik from my mind. Instead I began to think about the song I had just sung. It really was a beautiful song. To bad it was in French. If I had heard that song when I was in America, I wouldn't have understood a single word! It was kind of sad that since some people in America didn't speak French, they couldn't understand such a lovely play such as Faust. Luckily I learned to speak French when I moved to France, so I know exactly how to translate 'The Jewel Song' into English.

I began to silently sing the song in English.

"Ah, I laugh to see myself  
So beautiful in this mirror,  
Ah, I laugh to see myself  
So beautiful in this mirror,  
Is it you, Marguerite,  
It is you?  
Answer me, answer me,  
Respond, respond, respond quickly!  
No No! it's no longer you!  
No...no,  
It's no longer your face;  
It's the daughter of a king,  
It's the daughter of a king!  
It's no longer you,  
It's no longer you,  
It's the daughter of a king,  
One must bow to her as she passes!  
Ah if only he were here!  
If he should see me thus  
Like a lady  
He would find me so beautiful, Ah!  
Like a lady,  
He would find me beautiful,  
Like a lady,  
He would find me beautiful!  
Marguerite, It's no longer you!  
It's no longer your face;  
Yes, it's no longer your face;  
One must bow to her as she passes!"

As my 5 minute break comes to an end, my smile fades and I am swept back onto the stage. I sigh and quickly snap back into character which was a bit hard since I had to KISS William.

I hear a knock on my door and set down the mirror from when I had just sung. I gleefully skip to answer the door and there on my doorstep is Faust!

Before I can even open my mouth to speak, Faust begins to go on and on about how he loves me. He feels that I am his dream girl and he wants to spend the rest of his life with me!

Once Faust had stopped speaking I realized that I needed to say something. No words came out of my mouth though! I open my mouth to try for at least one words but still, nothing!

As I stand in my doorway, feeling as dumb as a brick, Faust pulls me close to him so that we are chest to chest and my head on Faust's shoulder. I keep it there for a few seconds while Faust runs his hands up my back to embrace me in a warm hug.

"You are going to be this close to me every night from here on out." William whispered in my ear, snapping me out of character. He tightened his grip on my back a bit making me have to bite my tongue to keep from hissing in pain.

As I backed away from him and looked into his eyes. I was pretty sure that our eyes were doing some sort of waltz with fear and craziness.

William rested his hand on my cheek as Faust. I honestly tried my best to snap back into character, but after his comment it was really hard to.

"I love you Marguerite."

I mentally shook myself back into character since I knew that I was in the middle of the opera and I couldn't just bail out now. I needed to forget about my real life issues and just act as if I am madly in love with Will-Faust.

I smiled a fake smiled as he brought his lips to mine. I acted as if he was my dream man. William picked me up and swung me around in a circle, dress flying in the air as we spun.

As my dress lifted off of my skin, a memory flashed through my head, making me frown against William's lips. I briefly remembered a time not so long back when a young man had professed his love to Christine. A time when light had shone bright in a young couple's eyes. A time when a man had gotten his heart broken. A time when I was held close to the only man worth living for. A time back when I had been able to hear the most beautiful music in the world each day. A time when life was going well for me.

Now, happiness to me is but the rain's heart breaking lull. Falling from the sky are the thousands of tears that I have cried. The form small puddles all around me, making it hard to even look down with out seeing my own sorry reflection.

It took all of my will power not to cry as William set me back down. I wore an impassive face as William smiled down at me. As the orchestra played a light tune, William and I walked off hand in hand.

Once we were off stage, I yanked my hand out of William's grip.

"Wear something pretty for tonight's dinner." William said as a stagehand handed us some water. I nodded to him and he walked off.

I took a sip of water." You know William, I like you, I really do!" William smiled proudly. "But I HATE your personality! Why do all of the girls love you so much?" I clicked my tongue.

William took a swig of water and leaned down to my ear. "They love me because I am able to give them a night that they never forget."

I tensed up and William took a step back. "I am not going out with you." I looked over his shoulder and saw that the ballet was coming to the end of their routine. It was about time for me to go back on stage so I walked away quickly to stray from William and to change.

"I will be by your dressing room after the show dear!" I didn't have to be looking at him to tell that sarcasm was dripping from William's lips as he spoke.

I rolled my eyes and hurriedly changed into my outfit for the next performance. I had a gut feeling that I would rue ever saying 'no' to William Deston.

LINE

What do ya'll think will happen in the next chapter!?


	16. Chapter 15- Say Nothing

AH! Here is a REALLY long chapter! Just warning you all! Also, a fact is that the title of this chapter 'Say Nothing' was inspired by the song 'Say Something' by Auston Mahone! (Dont know if i spelled that right!)

LINE

I made my way through the swarm of people surrounding the Prima Donna room. I bore a fake smile for the crowd as I walked. Sure it was great to have all of these people aloud for me and only me, but William's words were still lingering around in my mind.

"Ejemmaline!" I sighed as Monsieur Andre and Monsieur Firmon beckoned me to them.

I headed towards the two men, still wearing a façade of a smile. "Yes?" I asked sweetly.

"You gave a superb performance tonight!" Andre gushed.

"Why thank you!" I curtsied towards Andre, then Firmin, who simply smiled and nodded.

"You were sublime!" Firmin spoke. He seemed less hyper than his friend.

"Indeed." Andre agreed. "The phantom must have liked your performance too because he didn't try and ruin it!" I ignored his comment about Erik.

The smile which Monsieur Firmin had faded a bit. "Now, we shall just have to cross our fingers and pray to God that the critics agree with us! Remember, it is their word that could cause your career to crash and burn."

Andre nodded, as did I.

"I understand completely. All that matters to me is that I had a great time tonight." I spoke in all seriousness yet lied through my teeth at the same time.

"That is exactly the spirit and kind of attitude that will charm the people!" Andre patted my arm and walked off.

"Keep your head up Jemma." Firmin said with a sincere smile. He then followed after his idiotic friend.

I smiled to myself and continued to the dressing room. I was kind of glad that the younger looking manager had used my nickname instead of my real name. I was also grateful that he had been so straight forward with me. It is always good to know that there are still some honest people in this business.

I opened the door and walked into the pink room. Luckily, since most of the crowd was clearing out to the foyer to celebrate the success of tonight's opera, I didn't have to push by thousands of people to get to my destination. I remember when I was just a ballet girl and I would always enjoy the parties. I didn't really hang out with many people, but the music alone was enough to make my night and bring a smile to my face. Most of the stars however would enjoy a nice and quiet night with their lover or a friend.

I shut the door behind me and looked around. I couldn't help but gag a little bit at the sight. Pink in every direction! Pink roses, pink walls, pink rugs, and even giant pictures of La Carlotta framed in pink! Gross!

I shook my head shamefully at how girly some people can be. I am more of a dark girl. I prefer dark colors. And blue. Any shade of blue should suffice for me!

Tearing my feet from the spot I was standing, I walked over to the vanity table, the only decent looking thing in this whole room. I pulled out the chair and took a seat so that I may take off my ballet shoes with ease. I bent over and began to unlace my left ballet shoe. I gingerly pulled the string and the shoe listened on my foot so that I may take it off. I gave one good tug and it came off.

"My gosh!" I breathed a sigh of relief and wiggled my toes. I suddenly felt a pang of pity for Carlotta, the usual leading lady, and Christine when she got a chance to be the lead. Being the leading lady meant wearing your ballet slippers skin tight which is painful. I wonder if Carlotta ever got used to the shoes.

I took off my other shoe and sighed again. I massaged my feet as they were very sore. By tomorrow I would have blisters. My toes hurt the most because of the wooden toe box that I have to balance on while dancing.

I sat straight up and placed both of my feet on the soft carpet and pivoted in my seat to look in the mirror. Then I saw it, a rose.

On the desk was a white rose. I knew in my heart that it had to be from Erik considering he was the only one that could come in here unnoticed. I smiled and reached out to pick up the beautiful rose.

Noticing that it had thorns made my smile fade. The last rose that I had received hadn't had a single thorn. Erik had clearly said that a rose with no thorns meant that the rose giver loved you at first sight. I guess that Erik didn't love me, where as I thought I might have started to develop feelings for him. I figured that the last rose didn't have thorns because he was thinking of Christine when he was getting it. He loved her with out a doubt at first sight. I wasn't even his second best.

I sighed and forlornly twirled the rose in between my fingers.

"Jemma!" My door burst open and I could have sworn that I had a heart attack. I lost grip on the rose and it pricked me. "Ow!" I said as I dropped it to the table.

"Didn't mean to scare you boo." I looked over at Meg and knitted my eyebrows together. No matter how much I wished to laugh at her, I knew that I couldn't. She had ignored me for almost two weeks! I sucked on my thumb to stop the bleeding as I heard the door slowly shut close.

"You alright?" Meg asked. I glared over at her again.

"Fine." I said with no emotion what so ever.

"Jemma…" Meg coed. " I know that we need to talk, but can you at least say something more than 'fine'?"

I shook my hand to rid of my excess saliva. I spun in my seat to look at her and then, I flipped. "What do you want me to say?" I threw my hands up in the air. "For almost a month, you have ditched me! I disappear for a day or two and when I get back, you still ignore me! What do you expect me to say?"

Meg looked down at her feet. "Well-"

I cut her off. "And better yet, Christine ditches me as well and I am all alone! I had no one to turn to when I was worried about the show! Do you not get that you, my one and only cousin, hurt me?" I yelled. I was almost positive that I heard a whimper.

"I'm sorry Jemma! I really am!" Meg looked back up and I saw the look of pain written all over her frail face.

"Then why? Why did you two just leave me?" I stood up at the table.

"Raoul made me!" Meg blurted out. She then let out a sigh. I thought she was going to cry any second, but instead she took a few deep breathes and calmed down. She gets flustered really easily. "He made us both." Meg looked up at me, eyes full of guilt.

"What do you mean Meg?" I stood up and walked over to her.

Meg spun her foot around. "He told Christine that she shouldn't talk to you." Meg looked down again, but I just kept looking at her.

"And why is that?"

"Raoul told Christine that you were holding her back, that you were getting in the way of her spotlight." I heard meg swallow a gulp as she looked back up at me.

"I never did like Raoul." I gave a half hearted smile to my cousin and friend. "What did he say to you Meg?"

"He um…he told me that I shouldn't talk to you because…" Meg shook her head and let a tear fall down her face.

"Its alright Meg. You can tell me." I said sweetly.

"Raoul told me that I shouldn't talk to you because you are a mental case!" Meg burst out in tears and held her head in her hands. I pulled her close and wrapped her into a hug.

"Why does he believe that I am a mental case Meg?" I asked in all seriousness.

Meg lifted her head and stepped out of my hug. "Jemma, the whole Opera house thinks that you are insane." With that said, my heart dropped from my chest to my stomach in a matter of milliseconds.

"R-really?"

"Yes Jemma. You kept on disappearing and people started to believe…things." Meg bit her lip.

"What kind of 'things'?"

"Well, many rumors spread." Meg twirled a strand of her dirty blonde hair around her finger. "Some people thought that you were gone because you had killed someone and you needed time to rid of the body."

I looked down. "What else?"

"Many believe that you were kidnapped by the Phantom, and that started many other rumors. The men of the Opera House told everyone that the Phantom took you because he had…needs, and you were the easiest person to get with."

I froze at that one and thought back to the time when I was with Erik. We did not even come close to bedding. The closest we got was when we were drinking the white wine, but even that had to end.

"Do you have anything to drink Erik? I do not mean to be a bother, it is just that my throat is very dry."

"Oh um, let me go see." Erik stood up and I watched as he walked away. I quickly fixed my hair as he came out and stood behind me.

"_Is this alright? It is all I have." Erik said, holding up two fancy glasses and a bottle of wine. I nodded my head as he sat down next to me. _

Erik popped the cork off of the wine bottle and poured us each a full glass. He handed me one of the cups as he set the wine next to him on the ground. "Thank you." I said. Erik and I both took a sip of the wine. It tasted really good. Sweet with a hint of bitterness.

It seemed as though Erik drank a lot so I wasn't going to tell him that this was my first drink of alcohol. I would seem stupid. I am only 19, but most girls in the Opera House that are about 16 score some drinks at parties and celebrations. I however, would stay sober so that I could dance the next day. But I was with Erik and I didn't plan on dancing any time with in the next few hours. Plus, I really was parched.

I brought the cup down and noticed that Erik's eyes were on me. He just kept staring at me. "What?" He didn't answer. Instead, he just kept staring at me. "What?" I asked again, a little agitated, yet in the funny kind of way if that makes any sense.

Erik lifted a finger and wiped my top lip. To be honest, I was a little confused, but my confusion was overcome by an even greater feeling. I believe that feeling is called love. Even though he had his glove on, I could feel the sparks.

Erik let his finger linger on my lip a bit longer than needed, but I didn't mind. I was to high on cloud 9. I wasn't sure if the sparks I felt were mutual, but they were there.

When Erik pulled his arm back, I almost wished that he hadn't. I enjoyed him being so close to me. "You had some wine on your lip."

I nodded, in a staring contest with Erik's beautiful blue eyes. "Thanks." I said in a small voice. I felt a smile creep onto my face as I saw the edges of Erik's mouth begin to form a smile. His smile made me smile.

I felt as if time had frozen around me. I wanted Erik to kiss me or do something to break the silence. Something to show me that my feelings towards him were shared. When he did nothing, I let my smile fade as I spoke up. "I um…I should probably get back to sleep." I stood up, leaving Erik still sitting on the bench.

"Yes you should." I looked down at him and saw that his smile had vanished as well. Did I ruin the moment?

"Thank you for the drink Erik." I said as I looked down to the ground, noticing my half empty wine glass.

"Your welcome." Erik said as he nodded. I nodded back and walked back to the Louis-Philippe room holding Erik's cape still.

That was that. "What do you believe Meg?" I asked in a hushed voice.

"I believe that Raoul is the mental case and that if you killed someone you would tell me!" Meg joked. I couldn't help but laugh, which snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Don't worry, if I ever decide to free the world of Carlotta, you will be the first to know!" I laughed again and hugged Meg.

"Do you want me to talk to Christine for you?" Meg asked me as we backed out of the hug.

"Yes. Just tell her that I would never try of outshining her, and that we just happen to have the same goal in life." I shrugged.

"Alright. Now, I must run before mother starts to question my whereabouts!" We giggled once again as Meg opened the door. "Love you Jem!" She yelled as she ran out of the dressing room. I sighed a contempt sigh. I was glad that I had made up with my favorite cousin and hopefully Christine.

I skipped over to the wall mirror that I knew Erik lived behind. We were so close yet so far all of this time. I shook Erik out of my head and took off my skirt. I tossed it onto the pink sofa, now standing in a white corset and beige tights that luckily weren't see through, and beige underwear.

I heard the door slowly creak open and quickly shut. I figured that it was Meg so I continued to undress. I bent over and slid a finger in one of my stockings. I slowly slid it down to my foot and then gingerly took it off.

"Again please?" A cocky voice said. With only a corset on, underwear and now just one stocking.

"William!" I fleetly grabbed a frilly white robe provided for me. I turned away from William and pulled it on, tying it up in the front as fast as I could before turning back to face the man.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" I asked as I placed my hands on my hips.

"Sorry Jemma. I just wanted to swing by and tell you that there is a carriage waiting out front for us." William held out a purple violet and held it out to me. I walked over to him and took it carefully, setting it on my desk next to the flower from Erik.

I sighed and turned back to William. "listen William, I told you this before and I will tell you again in the nicest way possible, I don't want to go out tonight. I would rather just hang out here for the night, maybe read a good book and then go to sleep."

William looked a bit mad. "I already paid for the carriage, so the very least you could do is take a leisurely ride in the park with me." He fixed his eyes on mine.

"That sounds very nice, but I really don't feel like leaving the opera house tonight. I'm sorry." I did feel bad that I was turning him down, but he hadn't made a good first impression on me.

"Alright Jemma, have it your way. We don't have to leave the Opera House." I smiled at him and walked back over to the large two way mirror and began to fix my hair. "We just have to be quieter."

I turned around and looked at William with confused eyes as he stormed over to me. He took me by my upper arms and slammed my back against the mirror.

"Let me go!" I shouted.

William took his right hand off of me, but before I could try and escape, he gripped my throat tightly with his now free hand.

"I told you to be quiet beautiful." William smirked at me and then winked. He still had his hand around my throat, but he loosened it so that I could breath. I think he left his hand on my throat as a threat.

William let go of my arm and slid his hand down the side of my body to my hip. "You truly are a beautiful woman Jemma." He hissed in my ear. I shook in his grip as his hand traveled lower than my hip.

"Please William, let me go." I begged. Tears glazed over my eyes.

William lifted his head to look at me. Then, right there at that moment, I saw something. Something in him changed. He took his hands off of me and took a step back. "I can't." He said, shaking his head.

I rubbed my arms and throat lightly and walked to my vanity desk. I picked up the white rose that Erik gave me and held it to my chest as I let tears spill out of my eyes.

"And don't you ever tell anyone what happened or you will regret it!" William shouted. I turned my head to look at him and SMACK! The sound of William's hand colliding with my cheek rang through out the room. I fell to the ground and dropped my rose. I looked up to see William heading for the door. With out another word, he left

I sat on the ground for about one minute before picking up the rose and standing up. I couldn't tell anyone what had happened so I decided it best to just walk out. I held the rose to my chest and opened the door. I shut it behind me and made my way to my room.

I walked up the many steps, still with only one stocking on. Once I got to my room, I wiped away my tears and plastered a fake smile. I opened the door and saw Christine sitting on her bed talking to Meg.

"Hi Jemma!" Meg said. She jumped up and ran over to me, embracing me in a tight hug.

"Hi." I said in a low voice. I could tell that both Meg and Christine were staring at the handprint on my cheek, but I was glad that they dint say anything.

"What's wrong Boo?" Not even that made me smile.

"Nothing. I'm just sleepy." I lied.

Meg nodded her head and led me to my bed. I took a seat and Christine looked from me to Meg. "Meg dear, I hate to do this, but could you please leave? Jemma and I need to talk."

Meg smiled and nodded her head. "Goodnight Jemma! You did great tonight!" And with that, Meg skipped out of mine and Christine's room.

I looked over at Christine, my face holding no emotion.

It was silent for about 5 minutes before Christine broke the ice. "I'm sorry for ditching you. I didn't mean to, but Raoul said that you were holding me back and that I shouldn't talk to you anymore."

"Why did you listen to him?" I looked down.

"Because I was stupid and because I love him. When you love someone, you will do anything for them, but this time, I shouldn't have listened to him." I nodded my head.

Many thoughts ran through my head. Like the fact that Christine and Raoul love each other. Erik wouldn't like that. "Oh." I said plainly.

"I'm sorry Jemma, I really am. don't ever think that you are holding me back or anything. Also, don't listen to the rumors. I know that you don't sleep around and that the Phantom didn't have his way with you. Never listen to the people." Great, another rumor. Apparently I sleep around now. I love rumors. I get to learn things about myself that I didn't even know.

"All is forgiven. Now, when did these rumors start?" I still stared at the ground.

"They started while you were with MY angel. I just didn't want to upset you with them before the show." The way she said 'MY angel', kind of made her sound mad at me for spending time with Erik.

"Oh well. The rumors will die down soon." I just wanted this conversation to end so I could go to sleep and forget about the night for a while.

"Indeed." Christine paused. "Are you alright? You seem as if your mind is somewhere else." She always notices everything.

"Yes, I am fine. I am just tired and I think I am going to go to sleep now." I laid down, still in the robe. I wasn't in the mood to change into my sleepwear. I pulled the blanket over my body and Christine blew out the candle.

"Alright." Christine sighed. I think she knew that something was off about me. "I am going to go to the party with Meg and Raoul. I will see you in the morning."

I could hear Christine stand and walk to the door. She opened it and let light crawl into the room. "By the way Jemma, you did an amazing job performing in Faust tonight. You were meant to play the role." I smiled, but since I had rolled onto my side to face the wall, Christine couldn't see.

"Thank you." She shut the door and I knew I was all alone. I was alone. Then and now. Not even Erik came to help me. Instead I nearly got raped by William. I was to upset to even cry. All I could do was think about the past events that would forever change me.

LINE

Alright, so I REALLY want you guys to answer THESE questions please! 1- If you were Meg, would you have gone against Raoul's word and still talked to Jemma? 2- What was going through your head as you read this? 3- What is different between this performance with Jemma, and the performance with Christine? 4- What do you WANT to happen next in the book?


	17. Chapter 16- The Silent Masquerade

**HEY GUYS! SO I REALIZED THAT I HADN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE! I HOPE YOU GUYS DON'T HATE ME! I STARTED SCHOOL AND THINGS HAVE BEEN REALLY CRAZY. ALSO, THIS CHAPTER IS HOPEFULLY REALLY REALLY LONG. SO ENJOY IT! COMMENT WHAT YOU THINK AND I WILL UPDATE QUICKER NEXT TIME SINCE THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE FINISHED THIS MONTH! OH YEAH, AND A FACT ABOUT ME IS THAT I STARTED BALLET ON WEDNESDAY! THEY ASKED ME TO DO A SPLITS AND I FELL. FAIL! ANYWAYS, ENJOY!**

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"Perfect!" Meg chirped after placing the last of the white  
flowers in my now curled hair. Meg held up a mirror so that I could  
see the back of my head. My hair looked amazing!

"Do you like it?" I nodded my head, still looking in the mirror  
at Meg's masterpiece.

"Hurry up ladies! The show begins in 10 minutes and we must get  
in place!" Madame Giry popped her head into my room to give Meg and I  
the heads up. Then she walked away.

"Ah! I can barely wait Jemma!" Meg jumped up and down and that  
made me smile. "Oh man, I have to go tell mother something!" Meg  
smiled wider, if that was even possible. "I will meet you near the  
stair case Jemma!" She blew me a kiss, picked up her dress, and ran  
out to find her mother.

I nodded to myself as Meg's slender figure ran out of my sight. I turned back to face the mirror and I could help but smile. For once I looked nice, like I would be able to fit in with the rest of the world.

Staring blankly ahead at my reflection, I thought back to the day that had changed me for life.

Ever since William had nearly had his way with me, I had changed. I have become a completely different person both inside and out. For one, I had stopped talking.

When William had threatened me, I thought that he wasn't all that serious. So the next day, I made my way to the stage where I knew that I could find Madame Giry. I had to tell her of the past night's events to clear my conscience. Before I could even make it to the stage though, William stepped out from behind a few props. It was almost as if he was waiting for me.

William leaned against one of the more sturdy props and flashed me an evil and yet handsome smirk. "Where do you think you're going Jemma?" William knowingly asked.

"N-nowhere." I replied. I begin to fiddle with my fingers as a sign of nervousness.

"Don't go running to Giry." My eyes widened. "I know you Jemma." William began to walk in circles around me. "Just as that Phantom knows every little detail about Christine, I know you. You are my Christine. Forever mine. Always in my control." William stopped walking and stood right in front of me. He caressed my cheek with one of his fingers. "You are my slave, and only I hold the key to your freedom."

I pushed his hand away from my face. At this point, I was fuming with rage. "Don't you dare start to talk about Christine…or the Phantom." I said through clenched teeth.

William's smirk returned. "Alright, I will leave that friend of yours out of our talk." I sighed. "But that Phantom. Even if I were to stop talking about him, his name will continue to spread around the Opera House, maybe even all of Paris! He is a beast Jemma."

I furrowed my brows together. "Shut up." I warningly said through my still clenched jaw.

Light flickered in William's eyes. He was enjoying this, playing with my mind. "Being the kind hearted girl you are Jemma, you probably believe that the Phantom is just a man shy of the world, right? Well you are wrong. That Phantom is a murderer and above all, he is manipulating." I raised an eye brow.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I was a tad bit curious now.

"That Phantom, only likes Christine for one reason."

"Which is?" The tension in my body was building up again.

"To have his way with her. He is a man, and all men have hormones. The Phantom though, is just to gosh damn ugly and repulsive to actually try and charm a lady. Hence why he wears a mask! He lets his voice to the controlling, and once he has Christine in his grasp, he is going to bed her. Just you wait Jemma!"

William had now gone WAY to far! "I said SHUT UP!" With that, I pounced on top of him, knocking the both of us to the ground. I began to claw at his face with my French tips.

"Get off of me you crazy girl!" He took hold of my upper arms and flipped me over so that he was pinning me to the ground. "You are nothing Jemma! Nothing!" He slapped me and stood up, holding his bloody, scratched up face.

I sat up and looked at William, his face bearing a menacing expression. "You Jemma, just crossed the line. I am done with you. Done! You are just as ugly as that Phantom and I don't even know why I wasted my time on you!" A few tears dripped down my cheek. "And now, I mean it. If you EVER say ANYTHING about last night, you will literally become my slave!"

From that moment on, I became very self cautious…and mute. I was to scared to speak, to scared that one day I would open my mouth and say the wrong thing. I just decided that it would be easier if I just didn't talk. My speechlessness had taken a toll on many people, but it also helped me discover my real friends. Meg, Christine and my aunt, Madame Giry, were really the only people that have actually stuck by my side for the past two months. Isa still spoke to me at practice, but it was never more than a few words.

When I hadn't spoken a word in a week, many people started to wonder as to why. Once two weeks had passed, my muteness had become a sort of sick game to the whole of the Opera House.

Many people would make bets on who could get me to speak first. Quite a few people tried, and I had only ever opened my mouth to one person who had begun to talk about the Phantom with me. I wanted to punch him or tell him that Erik was a wonderful person, but I was still scared to talk.

Speaking of the Phantom, it seemed as if Erik had fallen off of the face of the earth. I mean, I thought this the night of Faust, but now I am sure. No one has seen or heard from the Phantom. No notes, no wreckage, no nothing. Everyone seemed happier, even Carlotta if possible. Everyone seemed to be in a better mood. Everyone but me.

With Erik gone, I had been the subject of talk. I mean, I like the spotlight…when I'm on stage. Off of stage though, I was fine with the few friends that I had. I didn't want everyone coming up and talking to me. I have been keeping count, and a total of 83 people in the Opera Populaire had tried to get me to speak. 55 of them were men, and 28 were girls. Out of the 55 men, about 48 of them had been dared to ask me out. The other 7 were either in a relationship, or gay. Now that annoyed me.

I pushed a strand of lose hair behind my ear and forced upon a smile. I took one last look at my appearance, grabbed my cream colored mask, and walked out of my shabby room. I walked down some steps that led to a very grand hall. Keeping my eyes down, I headed towards the grand staircase.

I lifted my head now and walked down the hall. From the distance, I could see Meg, Madame Giry, Monsieurs Andre and Firmin, La Carlotta, Piangi, and two random women stood. The managers and looked impatient, the women looked flirtatious, Meg looked anxious, and Madame Giry looked the same as always. I slowed my steps as I looked behind the group of people probably waiting for me, and took everything in.

Confetti rained from somewhere, making the room shine. Each and every candle was lit and resting upon fancy candelabras. It was simply beautiful. With half of Paris, so it seemed, already dancing to the music and singing along to the song played each year. Fans were waving, dresses were spinning, men were taking hold of a lover. I had been here for many years, but this seemed to be the most magnificent masquerade of them all!

"Jemma!" Meg ran up to me. I guess that unknowingly I had completely stopped walking to take in the scene

Meg took hold of my left hand. "Put your mask on when we descend the staircase alright?" I nodded as Meg led me to greet everyone else. The elderly managers and the two women stared me up and down which made me want to just hide away, Carlotta and Piangi silently laughed at me and made crude remarks about me to each other. Madame Giry and Meg however, gave me light smiles. Madame Giry took Meg's place and held my hand. She gave Meg a look, and she backed up a bit. I knew that Madame Giry was going to say something to me, probably something private.

When Meg was far enough from both me and Madame Giry, she began to speak. "Listen Jemma, I know that you have decided to hold your words in, but tonight is a fun night." I smiled. "I remember that when you had your fist masquerade here, you were gay as could be. I know that you love masquerades, so all I ask of you is to at least try and have some fun. Just like the good old days."

I smiled at my aunt and hugged her, careful not to wrinkle either of our outfits. "Oh an Jemma?" I raised an eyebrow. "Since we are performing tonight, can you try and sing? If not, could you at least mouth the words?" I nodded my head. "Thank you darling." Madame Giry took my hand and led me back to our small group.

"We start down the steps right after this verse!" Meg squealed. She turner her head to look down at the crowd of hidden faces.

"Masquerade!

Seething shadows  
Breathing lies.  
Masquerade!  
You can fool  
Any friend who  
Ever knew you!"

The crowd below us finished up the second to last verse before we were to descend into the dancing folks.

"Come on!" Meg toke a hold of my hand, and led me down the first few steps. Carlotta and her husband Piangi, led the way. To the right of Carlotta, walked Monsieur Firmin and his dancing tramp. To the left of Ubaldo Piangi, were Monsieur Andre and his girl. Directly behind Piangi, my dear cousin Meg. I walked on Meg's right. Usually I would want to be hidden, so naturally my lovely mask was held onto my head by a strand of chicken wire. On my right, walked my aunt, Madame Giry.

As requested, I opened my mouth, ready to sing. Then I realized that I was in public and opened my mouth simply to mouth the words.

We began our way down the first section of stairs leading to the grand foyer.

"Masquerade!  
Leering satyrs,  
Peering eyes.

_Masquerade!  
Run and hide -  
But a face will  
Still pursue you" _That was our cue to begin singing, me lip sinking. We walked down the wide staircase.

"_What a night!" _Carlotta sang.

_"What a crowd!" _Ubaldo merrily sang.

"Makes you proud!"

Monsieur Andre sang, bearing a goofy smile.

_"Makes you proud!  
All the crème  
De la crème!" _I could have sworn that Monsieur Firmin's mustache did a weird bounce when he sang.

"Watching us, watching them!"

Even now, Carlotta's voice croaked.

_"All our fears  
Are in the past!" _I mouthed the words, where as Madame Giry and Meg sang them for real.

_"Three months!" _Andre sang once again, a single line.

"Of relief!"

"Of delight!"

Piangi and Carlotta each sang a line.

"Of Elysian peace!"

The two elderly men sang.

"And we can breathe at last!"

Once again I pretended to sing my line with Meg and Madame Giry.

"No more notes!"

"No more ghost!"

Once again Carlotta sang, and then her loyal husband sang a line.

"Here's a health!"

I had to admit, I didn't know that Madame Giry could sing. She is actually quite good at singing and it seemed like she enjoyed to sing by the look on her face.

"Here's a toast  
To a prosperous year  
To our friends who are here"

The old managers sang together. To be honest, when I first saw them I thought that they were really weird.

_"May the splendor never fade!" _The semi cute couple sang together.

"What a blessed release!"

At this point, I am not sure why the two random women with the managers are here. They are just smiling and looking pretty.

Madame Giry waved her fan in front of her face singing, _"And what a masquerade!" _She led me and Meg down the last few steps and off to the side.

I tapped on Meg. "Yes Jemma?" She looked over at me. I pointed to the other side of the room where the drinks are. "Alright, be careful!" I smiled and walked off.

I headed towards the table with probably thousands of drinks. I looked around for something good to drink, but soon realized that it was all alcohol. I sighed and picked up a glass full of red wine. I took a sip and made a sour face. It was semi sweet, but it left a bitter aftertaste.

After downing my glass of wine, plus 4 more, I was beginning to feel a bit dizzy. I leaned against a wall, pulling my massive dress close to me so that people didn't step on it.

My eyes peered out of my mask, watching as people danced with either friends or lovers. One couple that I spotted dancing was Raoul and Christine. They were a cute couple.

"Excuse me miss?" I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around. William!

I just stared at the dashing young man. His white shirt hugged his chest, and the deep yellow vest just made his eyes shine. His black overcoat suited him well too, William had his hand in the pockets of his black pants.

"May I have this dance Jemma?" He asked. Still feeling as though I were his puppet even though I hadn't seen him in so long, I took hold of his now outstretched hand. He led me out to the center of the room, directly across from the marble steps.

William spun me out, and then back into his chest and arms. I stiffened up being so close to him. "Relax Jemma. I wont hurt you or do anything to you, I promise." With hesitation, I slowly began to relax.

"Masquerade!  
Paper faces on parade  
Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you!"

People around us sang well rehearsed song.

William took a few steps, leading us in dance. "I'm very sorry Jemma, about that night. I don't know what I was thinking. In fact, I don't think I was thinking." I looked up at William as we danced. His evergreen orb like eyes seemed to glow in the light of the many candles. His eyes seemed to tell the truth, but I still wasn't sure.

"Did you hear?" I cocked my head to the side. "It was a bet. I had to…get with you in 2 weeks, get your undergarments, and if I didn't, then I would have to kiss Madame Giry. Well, I kissed her." My eyes widened. William kissed my aunt?!

"So I did get what was coming, I kissed an old lady…then got slapped by an old lady." William chuckled and I couldn't help but smile as well. He was just so damn charming. Wait, he nearly raped me, I can't smile! As quickly as it'd came, I wiped my smile away.

"Aw come on Jemma;" William coed as we danced in circles, listening to the singing fellows. "Smile for me. You have a beautiful smile." He flicked my nose, and I giggled. Wait, I need to stop it! This boy almost had his way with me!

I pulled away from him and ran. I ran towards the staircase where I knew that I could get lost in the swarm of people. Something about William made my heart skip a beat. I knew that he had been the cause of many of my current mental issues, but there was just something about him! Something about him that made me still have…hope? Maybe I still had hope that he wouldn't truly ever hurt me or threaten me again. I don't really know, but I do know that when I looked into his eyes, every part of me yearned for him.

"_Masquerade! Grinning yellows, Spinning reds!" _People ran around me, making my head spin more than it already was due to the most wine I had ever had at once.

"_Masquerade! Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you." _The voices died down and the song ended earlier than it did in practice. At first I thought it was a side effect to drinking way to much wine, but the music changed as well. It became a much darker tune. Looking around, I saw disgust written all over many people's faces, but I thought it was a nice tune, a unique one.

The candles somehow dimmed and I began to panic on the inside. I looked around to try and find Christine, Meg, Madame Giry, anyone really. I saw no one that I knew though, and I was forced to just awkwardly stand alone.

Following everyone else's gaze towards the staircase, I nearly tripped over thin air. Erik.

The tempo played to the beat of each of his 5 steps down the staircase. Staring at him as if in a daze, a million and one thoughts ran through my head. Erik was back. Where had he been though, and what made him decided to actually show his face to the public for once?

_"Why so silent, good monsieurs?" _Erik sang in a menacing tone. "Did you think that I had left you for good?" Erik walked down a few more steps, staring out into the crowd.

"Have you missed me, good monsieurs?  
I have written you an opera.  
Here, I bring the finish score.  
Don Juan Triumphant!"

Erik threw down a leather bound stack of papers, tied up with some black leather strings. Wait, Don Juan Triumphant? I'm not sure if it is just me or the wine, but I could have sworn that I saw that title before. Thinking harder, it came to me. When I was sick and helping him with a few lines of his song, I had seen the words 'Don Juan Triumphant' stained onto the top of the paper. My eyes widened even wider than they already were.

Erik held a sword in his leather coated hands, a skull resembling the handle of the sword.

"Fondest greetings to you all  
A few instructions just before rehearsal starts."

Erik made his way towards the staircase banister where Ubaldo Piangi and Carlotta happened to be standing. _"Carlotta must be taught to act! Not her normal trick of strutting 'round the stage!_" Erik ruffled a few of the feathers on Carlotta's hat thing with his sword.

People all around me were gasping at the sight. All I could think though was 'joy to the world. Erik is back.' If someone were to take a trip inside of my mind at this very second in time, they would strap me in a straight jacket and send me someplace far away. I mean, the Phantom is a killer and I am glad that he is back! But hey, I am probably the only one to know that there is more to him than meets the eye.

Piangi stepped in front of his wife in a protecting manner, puffing out his chest which in all reality only made him look fatter than he already was. Erik outstretched his sword again and Piangi took a small step back. Poking the sword into the folds of Piangi's fatness, Erik sang, _"Our Don Juan must loose some weight. It's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age!" _

Erik turned from the couple to face the managers. Ubaldo was glaring right into Erik's soul, and the managers were 'protecting' their women. Erik pointed his sword directly at Monsieur Firmin. It was so close to his skin that I thought that Erik might cut him. _"And my managers must learn that their place is in an office!"_ He then pointed the sword at the shaking Monsieur Andre. "_Not the arts."_

Erik slid his sword back into it's holster. He slowly turned from the cowering managers to face the people of the Opera House, all staring wide eyed with wonder and curiosity. I could have sworn that for just a millisecond, Erik laid his eyes on me, but as I said before, that might just be the wine's illusions.

"As for our star, Miss Christine Daae…"

I looked to my left and saw Christine standing alone. Raoul had abandon her, and she looked as though she were about to break down. Every eye in the Opera House fluttered between The Phantom, and Christine.

As if now speaking to everyone about Christine, Erik turned a bit. _"No doubt she'll do her best. It's true, her voice is good.  
She knows, though  
Should she wish to excel  
She has much still to learn." _Erik's voice was like the sweetest of honey to my ears.

Turning back towards Christine, he raised his hands as if to ask a question. _"If pride will let her return to me, her teacher…her teacher." _Christine was awestruck, as was I. I cocked my head to the side and watched as Erik slowly strode closer to Christine.

When they were about a foot away from each other, Erik's eyes latched onto hers. I held my breath as his gaze followed downward. From what I could see, Erik seemed to be mad. His shoulders tensed up and he reached an arm out. "Your chains are still mine, you belong to me!" Erik bellowed. He yanked a chain from Christine's neck and grasped it tightly.

Running back up a few steps, Erik turned back to Christine. With a swish of his red cape and a cloud of smoke, Erik was gone. I looked at where he stood and saw that a trap door still lie open. Raoul was making his way for it, and I knew that now was as good a chance as any. I picked up my dress and with all of my speed, ran to the trap.

"Jemma!" I heard Christine shout as I disappeared deep into the tunnels of the opera House. As soon as I was in, Raoul was as well. Then, all light from the above world vanished.

"Get out of the way and hide." Raoul hissed at me. I was pretty sure that he knew that it was for a fact, I, Jemma since Christine had just shouted my name, but I was wearing a mask so he may just think that I was some random girl who fell into one of the Phantom's traps.

Not wanting to let him know that I wasn't scared of the Phantom, I nodded and ran behind one of the mirrors. Peeking out from my hiding place, I saw Raoul aimlessly swinging his sword in failed attempts of trying to kill Erik.

Erik seemed to be everywhere and yet somehow, nowhere. I knew that it was one of his many tricks and illusions. This one happened to involve many illusionistic mirrors.

I heard the sound of retreating footsteps along with another set. Who's? Well, all that matters is that Erik isn't trying to kill anyone.

I stood up and dusted my dress off. "Who are you?" A voice boomed. A gloved hand swiftly took hold of my neck and pushed me against the nearest wall, lifting me off of the ground. I was, for once, eye level with Erik.

I struggled to breath in his tight grip, but with out speaking a single word, I reached my left hand up and yanked my mask off. I dropped it to the ground and stared at Erik with wide pleading eyes. Tears threatened to spill due to my loss of air.

Erik's eyes softened and he gently set me down, holding me up by my shoulders so that I didn't fall. "Jemma?"

I nodded my head. I began to feel a bit dizzy due to the fact that my lack of breath had made my head spin. I was also beginning to feel as if floating on cloud 9 due to the wine I drank. I was a bit woozy due to that.

Erik let his grasp on me go and nervously wiped his hands on his red pants as if sweating, though he wore gloves and there were a slight breeze in this hall of mirrors. "Jemma, I'm so sorry, I didn't know that it was you. Are you alright?" Once again I nodded my head.

I looked directly into Erik's eyes. Gosh how I wished that he liked me. Wait, what? Did I really just think that? Do I really wish that Erik liked me as more than a friend? What? No! I covered my ears with my hands and shook my head. Erik loves Christine!

"Jemma?" Erik wordily asked. I looked back up to him and put my hands to my side again. Realizing that I probably looked foolish. "Jemma are you feeling all right? Is everything ok?" His last words were the trigger to an emotional spiral.

Everything was not all right. In fact, my life was opposite of 'all right'. I was nearly raped, I haven't spoken or even sung in over two months, and to top it off, the person of whom I loved, loved someone else! I thought it again!

I covered my mouth with my hands to stop myself from saying, well thinking, anything else about Erik. "Jemma!" Erik's voice brought me back to reality. I made eye contact with him again, and from what I could see of his face through the eye and mouth slits, he was highly confused.

"Talk to me Jemma." He rested a hand on my arm to give me reassurance that everything would be alright which made me smile a bit.

Alright, well, I can't stay mute for all of my life. And besides, William will never find out about my speaking to Erik. We are underground and all alone for crying out loud! Also, no one knows that I talk to Erik. Well, no one except Christine, and she doesn't know the details of our conversations.

Erik took a step back and I took in a deep breath. I opened my mouth to speak, but knew that I couldn't speak my first words in two months while LOOKING at someone. It made me to nervous. Instead, I randomly sat down and looked at the ground. I began to play with a few pebbles and completely forgot that I was about to talk!

"Speak!" Erik nearly yelled, but didn't.

I inhaled yet another breath through my nose, and then opened my mouth. "Wi-William…" I did it! I said my first words in what seemed to be forever! That was the first step to speaking the whole unpleasant story.

"William what?" I looked up at Erik. He obviously knew who William was considering he was the lead in 'Faust' and Erik watches all of the performances. Erik's hands were scrunched into fists.

"William…William tried to rape me." I said quietly, but just loud enough for Erik to hear me.

"He what?" He screamed.

"He um…he tried to rape me. He let me go though but then he slapped me." I looked down at the ground again and brought me knees to my chest, the dress covering the whole of my body.

I heard Erik walking around and I assumed that he was pacing since I didn't want to actually look up, scared that Erik might burst into tears at Erik's expression.

"Are you mad at me?" I decided to ask in nearly less than a whisper. I thought that he would be mad since I hadn't done anything to stop William.

The shuffling of feet stopped. "Mad? At you?" I nodded all though I wasn't sure that he could see my slight movement. "Jemma…" He said in a soothing tone.

All was silent for a few seconds as I buried my head deep into the folds of my dress. I felt a finger snake under my face and lift my chin up ever so carefully. Still though, I shut my eyes, not wanting to have to face Erik.

Erik moved his finger and so I left my head where it was instead of burying it again. "Jemma…" He cooed. I shook my head. "Jemma, can you open your eyes?" I once again shook my head. "Why not?"

"I'm scared." I simply stated.

"Scared of what? If my eyes weren't open and Erik hadn't been wearing a mask, I was sure that I would be able to see him raising an eyebrow at me.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I'm scared that if I open my eyes, every single tear drop that I have been holding in, will spill out." Well, that came out even more pathetic than it sounded in my head.

"Jemma…" Erik's voice held a pang of hurt, a touch of sadness, and a hint of anger.

Finally giving in, I opened my eyes. "Your not mad at me?" I asked. I was half expecting to see Erik crouching in front of me, fuming. Instead, I saw a rather surprisingly calm Erik.

"I am not mad at you, nor do I have a reason to be."

"But I could have stopped him, I could have-"

Erik cut me off mid sentence. "Just like I could have stopped him? Jemma, you are not at fault for what that man did to you. If anything, I am. I should have been aware of all things happening in my Opera House."

I let a tear spill down my cheek but I wiped it away. I looked deep into Erik's beautiful eyes as if trying to read his thoughts. "Erik?"

"Yes Jemma?"

"Can you promise me two things?" I asked pleadingly.

"Anything."

I forced upon a smile. "First, I want you to promise me that you wont blame your self for William's actions."

"But-"

"No 'buts' Erik, just promise me that.

Erik sighed. "I promise."

"Good, now I really need you to hold on to this promise."

Erik Nodded. "Alright."

"Promise me that you won't hurt William."

Erik stood up and looked down at me. "I cant promise that Jemma. Sorry but no."

"Erik…" I pleaded. "Please?"

"No! Do you not get that he nearly raped you? Does that not mean anything? That boy deserves to die Jemma, and you want to protect him!" The anger that I had been waiting for had appeared at last.

"No, I just don't want him to get hurt. Is that a crime? To care for someone's well being?" I stood up and looked at a raging Erik.

"So you care about the man who tried to have his way with you?" Erik took a step closer to me.

"He changed, he said sorry." I stepped in closer to Erik.

"People don't change." Once again, Erik stepped in closer to me.

"Then why do I still have hope that you will?" I shouted. I stepped another inch closer to Erik.

"What are you talking about?" This time, Erik didn't move.

"You say that people don't change and yet I still have hope that you will. If people don't change then why do I still have hope?"

"So you want me to change?" Erik boomed.

"No, I just want you to be able to share your past alright/" I yelled right back at him. I took another step towards him and looked up at him

"Share my past? With you?" Erik let out a laugh.

I placed my hands on my hips. "Yes." I said through clenched teeth.

"No offence Jemma, but I barely know you, and I'm not going to share my past with someone who I barely know." Erik looked down at me.

That was the last straw. "Oh, so you barely know me, and yet you have the time of day to learn every little detail about Christine? News flash Erik, she doesn't like you! Hell, she doesn't even want to be known to you and yet you trust her with showing her your secret lair? Get it through your thick skull Erik. She doesn't love you!" I quickly covered my mouth and took some steps back.

"I'm so sorry Erik, that was uncalled for." I looked at Erik with puppy dog eyes.

"Sh-she doesn't love me?" Erik asked. The sadness in his voice made my heart break.

I shook my head. "No."

Erik's expression changed. "Don't worry, she will. I will make her love me!" Erik glared at me, but not at me. I was just in front of him and so he was bound to look at me.

"Erik…" He shook his head.

"Its alright Jemma, you were just speaking the truth." Come to think of it, I had been speaking the truth an awful lot to Erik.

"I'm sorry." I looked down

As if forgetting all that had just happened, Erik spoke again, but in a different tone. "Jemma, may I have this dance?"

I looked up and what I saw surprised me. Erik was holding a hand out to me and bearing the slightest smile. "Wha-"

"A dance Jemma. May I have the pleasure of dancing with you on this fine evening?"

I grew a smile that matched Erik's and nodded. "You may." I took stepped forward and took hold of Erik's hand. He pulled me closer to him which made me smile even more. "What are you doing Erik?" I asked through a small giggle.

"What does it look like I am doing? Dancing with you Mademoiselle." Wow, he was being so…so formal.

"Yes, but why?" I looked up at him as we spun in small circles in the spacious room.

"Well I figured that with all that was said, that maybe I had chance with you. A chance to get to know you better since you are the only one who actually cares for me. So since I figured that I had a better chance at getting to know you better, I decided to take that chance."

I smiled at Erik's heart warming words and leaned my head against his rock solid chest. "Thank you for noticing me Erik."

* * *

SO DID YOU GUYS LIKE IT? i HOPE SO! iT TOOK ME ALMOST A MONTH TO WRITE! ANYWHO, MY QUESTION IS...DO YOU THINK THAT ERIK AND JEMMA'S RELATIONSHIP WILL CHANGE AT ALL? IF SO, HOW?


	18. Chapter 17- A Midnight Kiss

I'm back! I didn't forget about you all, I just got really busy. I am back though and I am posting the rest of the story tonight! So be prepared to read a lot! And as always, please answer the questions at the end! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 17  
After a few hours of dancing, talking, and falling a few times due to my drunkenness, Erik led me to the passage that led to my room.

"I had a lovely evening with you tonight." I said as I looked into Erik's big blue eyes.

"As did I."

"When will I see you again?"

"When ever fate shall permit it." Erik gave me a light smile.

"And may fate be on our side."

"Indeed." Erik looked through a small hole to insure that the coast was clear and that Christine was sleeping. When he saw Christine he sighed a bit and then turned to me. "Get some sleep tonight Jemma."

"I will." I smiled to him as he reached a hand out to open the passageway. The wall slowly slid back enabling me space to walk into my room. Erik turned to walk away, but before he could leave my sight, I wrapped my arms around him to envelope him in a hug from the back. He turned back to me and hugged me the right way. His hands snaked around my waist making me smile.

I took a step back and looked at him again. "Goodnight Erik."

"Goodnight Jemma." I stepped into my room and watched as the hidden door slowly slid shut. I grinned ear to ear as I walked to my dresses to pick out a nightgown.

I pulled out a silken blue one with a ribbon on the neckline, and walked behind the changing stand. I slipped out of my gown and adjusted my undergarments. I didn't have a corset on because I felt that the night was a night to have fun, not a night to worry about how skinny you looked. Also, before seeing Erik again, I had felt no need to do anything extra to look nice.

Once changed, I pulled back my covers and got in bed.

"Goodnight Jemma." A voice said. I looked over at Christine. She was all bundled up, and her eyes were shut. So that meant that she heard me talking to Erik. She heard me talking.

I sighed. "Goodnight Christine."

"We talk later. We have some catching up to do miss 'head over heals in love with the Phantom'." I gaped as I heard a soft chuckle.

"I do not 'love' the Phantom."

"Whatever Boo. Night."

I grumbled. "Night.

Getting to sleep was easy considering the fact that for once, I was happy. I wanted more than anything to sleep forever and ever, but that was not God's plan for me.

Shuffling awoke me from my light but peaceful sleep. I forced my eyes open to see Christine next to her drawers.

"Christine?"

"Jemma." She said with a slight smile, only able to be seen by the gift of the moon light.

"What time is it? And what are you doing?"

She put on her thinking face. "I think it is about 4 in the morning." 4 in the morning? That means that I have only gotten one hour of sleep. Great, just great. "And I am going to visit my father's grave."

"At this hour?"

"I felt something in the pit of my stomach telling me to leave. A voice, in the back of my mind, and in my dreams, beckoning me to Father." This sounds like the works of Erik. Then again, it could just be the fact that Christine had a dream about her father and so she decided to visit his grave.

"Oh, alright." I plainly said.

"Would you care to come with?" I sat up and stretched.

"No thank you Christine. For he is your father, not mine." I smiled, though I didn't know if she could see.

"Alright. I will see you later." She gave a half smile to me and then shut her drawer. I was guessing that she hadn't a thing to wear to go to the cemetery.

"Goodbye Christine." I returned her smile and yawned. "Be safe."

"I will Boo." She said reassuringly. Christine slipped into some slippers and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. She opened the door and looked both ways. Curious, I leaned over in my bed and saw a sleeping Raoul sitting in a chair. Muffling a laugh, I watch as Christine walked down some steps, leaving the door wide open.

I sigh and stand up. I shut the door and then walk back over to my bed. Looking out my window at the beautiful scene, I smile. The half twilight breaks through the mist, shedding light down upon the earth. I look down to watch Christine get into a horse and carriage, and gap at what I see.

Christine hands a man a pouch full of coins, and walks out of my sight, probably getting some flowers and a black stage outfit to wear. Then, out of nowhere, a man covered by a cape bashes the filthy man with a block of wood, sending him crashing down to the ground. Erik!

I jump up and open a drawer. Pulling out an old black dress that I had modified to suit me, I quickly pulled off my nightgown and pulled on the black dress. It was basically a black corset with long sleeves and leather gloves. I don't wear the gloves. It also came with a really long veil, which I turned into it's cape. I slipped on some plain black shoes and laced the last of the strings on the corset.

I ran out of the room and saw that Raoul was no longer in his place. Dang! that means that he was already on his way to save Christine!

As quickly as I could, I ran to the stables and hopped onto a pitch black horse. I kicked it with my heal and it sped off, my dress flying in the wind. Knowing Raoul, he probably took the way that many travel to greet long lost loved ones. I however, took a shortcut. When me and Christine were younger, we would visit her father's grave each week it seemed. Realizing after a while that taking the path wore both of our horses out, we found a shortcut and made a rhyme to remember it. "Through the trees, up the hill. Behind the graves, where no one sees."

I weaved my way through the many trees, urged the horse up the hill, and then tied it to an old fence post. I looked up and seized out the gate. It seemed taller than I remember. Then again, I haven't been here in years. I rubbed my hands together and climbed up the fence. Lifting my dress up and over the fence was hard, but I made it over.

I ran to where I remembered sit Gustave Daae's grave plot being, and looked up. I stared at the back of it where many vines grew. Christine and I used to climb to the top of her father's tomb and look up at she sky as Christine silently prayed. I sighed and began to climb up the vines. I knew that if I got to the top, I could surly find Erik somewhere.

As luck would have it, I spotted him right away! He was sitting on the roof. I climbed the last few vines, and stood on the roof. I slowly crept up to Erik.

"Erik." I hissed.

He turned to look at me. "Jemma?"

"What are you doing here Erik?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Saving my friend from your trap!"

Erik walked over to me and covered my mouth with his hand. "Be quiet!"

I pushed his hand away. "Don't tell me what to do." I snapped.

"You will ruin everything!"

"And what is it that I will ruin? You taking my friend and holding her captive?"

"Well…" Erik was at a loss of words.

"You really need to open your eyes Erik. She doesn't love you!"

"You lie!" He hissed!"

I sighed and sat down on the roof. "Erik, she doesn't love you."

Erik crouched in front of me. His expression became one of sadness, then anger. "Well I will just have to make her then, wont I?"

Erik walked back over to his spot at the edge of the mausoleum and crouched down. "Erik, you are being stupid." I said.

Erik turned to face me again, fire dancing in his eyes. "I'm being stupid? Well at least I didn't forgive the man who nearly raped me!" He hissed through clenched teeth, venom dripping from his mouth.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't. What could I say?

"Jemma I-"

"Save it Erik."

"But I didn't mean it."

I sighed. "Must we go there again? Stop saying that you didn't mean it, when you clearly wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it." Tears glazed my eyes. I shook my head and crawled over to the back where the vines were.

"Jemma please."

"No Erik…just…please stop talking." I climbed down and looked around. I finally let the tears drip from my eyes as I slid down against the small wall like barricade to sit.

"Help me say goodbye. Help me say, goodbye!" Christine's voice could be heard from where I sat. Knowing Erik, Christine finishing her song, was his cue to make some move. I stood up and peeked out. Not for Erik's sake, but for my dear Christine's did I stand to watch as Erik attempted and failed at seducing her…again.

"Wandering child,  
So lost so helpless  
Yearning for my guidance" I listened as Erik sang to Christine.

"Angel or father?  
Friend or phantom?  
Who is it there, staring?" I fought the urge to tell Christine that it was indeed the Phantom. As to why, I don't know.

Erik jumped in and began to sing. "Have you forgotten you're…"

Then Christine joined in as well.  
"Angel, oh, speak  
What endless longings  
Echo in this whisper"

A light in the mausoleum turned on which made me jump a bit, nearly out of my skin.

"Too long you've wandered in winter  
Far from my fathering gaze." Erik sang to her. The doors to the tomb slowly began to open. Wow, creepy.

"Wildly my mind beats against you."

"You resist."

"Yet your/the soul obeys…" They sang together. "Angel of Music!"

"You denied me" Erik sung.

"Christine then sang. "I denied you"

"Turning from true beauty  
Angel of Music!" They once again sang in unison.

"Do not shun me" Once again Erik sang first, then Christine.

"My protector."

They sang a line together. "Come to me"

"Your strange Angel…"

"I am your Angel of Music...  
Come to me; Angel of Music" Erik's melodic voice sang. If he were trying to put me in a trance, he would have no problem. Same with Christine only because to him, she is like a puppet and the Phantom is her string master.

"No, Christine, wait!" Raoul's annoying voice shouted. I looked around and saw the knight in shining armor ride into the graveyard on his white horse. "Wait!"

The dazed Christine spun around. "Raoul." She spoke silently as she snapped out of her trance.

Raoul hopped off of the horse and ran up the steps to Christine, all the while pulling out his sword. "This man…this thing, is not your father!" Just as Raoul spoke, Erik jumped down from the top of the mausoleum.

With one swift movement, Erik's sword was out and already clashing with Raoul's. The sound of the clanging of the metal echoed all around me. Christine just stood there in shock.

Erik swished his cape in the air and in the one second that he did, Raoul jumped off of the tiny wall. Being the fop that he is though, he fell to the ground and tumbled into a leafless bush. I shook my head and muffled a laugh, reminding myself that this was no time to laugh. At seeing Raoul fall, Christine's face held an expression of worry as she ran down to the snowy grass.

Being a trooper, Raoul stood right back up and Erik jumped down. Erik landing on his feet made Raoul seem even more foolish. Around the graves the two men went, clashing swords when ever they could.

With one rough swing, Raoul was on the ground, and Erik's sword had just missed him, hitting a log. At that, my eyes widened and I ran out from my place of hiding, but hid behind another gravestone.

Standing up quickly, Raoul swung at Erik once more. The battle of the swords was back on. I looked over at Christine and saw that her jaw was dropped. Mine was too!

With Erik's sword always being one inch from Raoul, I was even scared. Erik's metal rod got caught in between a gate post, giving Raoul a second to take a step away from the danger zone that is Erik. Christine took another step forward as Raoul and Erik each hid behind a side of a grave stone with slits in it. They glared at each other from each side, and then Erik was gone. Raoul, being the confused person he is, began to look around for Erik through the slits. Then, out of no where, Erik's sword was flying at Raoul, but the swing was blocked.

Now in combat again, the ran around in circles. Swing here, swing there. It scared me! And Christine for that matter! I think that both me and Christine's eyes widened when Erik's sword sliced into Raoul's arm, causing blood to soak his shirt. I cam out from hiding and ran next to Christine.

"Are you alright Christine?"

She looked at me with bewilderment. "Yes, but this must end! I don't want my love or my angel getting in harm's way!" She hadn't taken her eyes off of the scene and I hadn't taken my eyes off of my worried friend.

Raoul fell onto a snow coated grave, but jumped right back up. Going back to fighting, the atmosphere was tense. Back and forth, they each took a swing at each other, each time missing. One lucky swing was all it took though for Raoul to get Erik on the ground. Raoul kicked his sword away and towered over him, lifting his sword up ready to end Erik's life.

"No Raoul!" Christine shouted taking a step forward. Raoul and Erik both turned their heads to look at Christine, and of course, they both spotted me. "No." Both Erik and Raoul looked at each other as if sending a secret message with their eyes. "Not like this."

Raoul stood still for a few seconds and then stepped away from Erik. He stuck his sword back into its holster, and walked towards Christine and I. Giving me a light shove, Raoul led Christine to the horse. He got on, and then helped Christine up. "Jemma?" I looked up. "Are you getting on?" She held a hand out to me.

I shook my head. "Good, we don't need a freak like her riding with us Christine." Raoul blurted out. Christine's expression was a sorrowful one as she rode away into the night.

I stared after them, still shocked at Raoul's words.

"Now, let it be war upon you both." Erik spoke into the night. I heard his cape swish in the wind, and I looked over at him.

"Erik…"

"Not now Jemma. Please." His expression became one of a distraught man.

"But Erik…"

"What do you want? Do you want me to tell you that you were right? That she does love Raoul?" I sighed and shook my head as I stepped in closer to him.

"I want you to shut up!" I yelled. He raised an eyebrow. "I know that you are in love and would fight for Christine and I am not going to try and make you do anything but what you want to do. Stop saying sorry to me also, because words don't faze me anymore." that was a lie.

"So…you don't want anything? You don't care that I am a tribal friend?" I sighed. How I wish we could be more than friends. You know what? I do wish that! I am going to stop blocking the thought out of my mind. It's true, I love Erik! The phantom of the opera!

"You are not a bad friend Erik." I took in a sharp breath. "And I do want something from you, but just one thing."

"Which is?"

"I want you to stop talking." I leaned in and kissed Erik smack dab on the lips, and then pulled away. I stared at Erik, wondering if he had felt the sparks that shook my body and filled me with joy. His expression wasn't the same as mine though which made my faint smile fade. "I-I'm sorry." I turned and ran away to find my horse and go back to the Opera House. With hope, that was all just a bad dream, and I didn't just kiss the Phantom of the Opera.

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My question for everyone today is... what do you think will happen now that they have kissed?


	19. Chapter 18- Marry Me?

This is a super short chapter, but it is simply a filler. Enjoy!

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Chapter 18  
"We have all been blind, and yet the answer is staring us in the face. This could be the chance to ensnare our clever friend." Raoul sang. We all walked down the hall, Raoul going on and on about how we would catch the Phantom. I just walked behind William, fiddling with my hands.

Ever since last night, I had felt awkward when ever I heard Erik's name mentioned. I was so stupid! How could I kiss him? When I realized that it wasn't a dream last night, I laid in bed and silently cried my eyes out, wishing that I could take it back, take it all back. Even if Erik liked me a little bit, there was no way he would like me now.

I sighed and looked up at William who's head had turned around to look at me. "Are you alright?" I nodded my head. Word had gotten around that I had spoken to Christine last night, so when I said nothing, William squinted his eyes.

"Yes. I am fine." He gave me a light smile.

"Good, because I need to talk to you." He looked…nervous.

"We're listening" Andre stated.

"Go on." Firmin demanded.

"When?" I asked William as we continued to walk.

"We shall play his game, perform his work but remember, we hold the ace."  
Raoul continued to say. "For if, Miss Daae sings, he is certain to attend."

"As soon as possible."

"So…during rehearsal?" We were on our way to practice Don Juan Triumphant, Erik's opera.

"Yes." William stated.

I nodded my head. "Alright."

"We are certain the doors are barred." Andre sang.

"We are certain the police are there." Firmin also sang.

"We are certain they are armed." Raoul added, because you know, police always go places unarmed. I muffled a giggle at my own sarcasm and continued to walk behind William, who by the way, was looking pretty handsome today. He was wearing a light brown vest with an orange ascot and a maroon overcoat.

"The curtain falls. His reign will end!" They all sung at the same time.

We all kept walking until we were on the stage where rehearsal was taking place. "Chorus members, find a seat! I want the Corpse de Ballet, over there," Monsieur Reyer pointed behind the piano. I walked over with the rest of the ballet girls. "Err…Jemma?"

I turned around with wide eyes? "Yes monsieur?"

"It says in the casting list that you are to be one of Don Juan's back up dancers. It isn't a big part, but it is a major role." I nodded my head. "I will tell you where to go in a second."

I stood next to the piano. Erik plays an organ which is kind of like a piano! AH! I need to stop obsessing over him!

"For Don Juan's back up dancers, Isabella Speranza with Ryan Fransisco, Julieta Rose with Markus Desion, Hannah Polio with Jonathan Vet, and Ejemmaline Leon with William Deston. All of you, please stand over there." Monsieur Reyer pointed to another side of the stage and I walked over there.

Looking at William who was standing beside me, I asked "So you wanted to talk?" He nodded his head and opened his mouth, but could say nothing, for the chorus had began to sing. "Hide your sword now, wounded knight! Your vainglorious gasconade. Brought you to your final fight. For your pride, high price you've paid!"

Once they finished singing a bit, William opened his mouth, but was interrupted once more, this time by Madame Giry. "Practice a demi plet, guys spin your girls, pull them close, girls raise your arm, and guys kiss up and down their arm seductively." We all looked at her. "Now!" She snapped. Man, Erik was changing everyone's mood today.

William and I each did a demi plet, me in front of him. He then took hold of my left hand with his right hand, his arm resting on my stomach. He spun me out in time with everyone else, and then spun me back in. I lifted my arm and he began to kiss all up it. Biting my lip, I asked, "We are free to talk now."

"Again!" Madame Giry's voice yelled. We redid he steps and as soon as he pulled my in from the spin he began to speak.

"Jemma, I know that I have done some wrong to you and maybe caused harm,"

"Again!" Madame Giry yelled again. "With more passion!"

Once again, we did the demi plet, spin out, and then when he pulled me to his chest, he began to speak again. "Bottom line is, I think I am in love with you." I was speechless as he kissed all up my arm.

"Silken couch and hay-filled barn!" Christine's voice rang out. Both have been his battlefield." We did our moves and he pulled me in again.

"Oh…"

"Yeah, and I need to ask you something very important." William said before kissing all up my arm.

"Those who tangle with Don Juan." Piangi sang off key.

"No, no, no!" Monsieur Reyer shouted at the man.

I did my demi plet and then was spun out. "Chorus, rest, please." He said to everyone.

When I was spun back in I looked up at William. "What is it that you must ask of me?"

"Will you marry me?"

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My question- What would you say if your were Jemma?


	20. Chapter 19- Yes, No, Maybe, I Don't Know

This is even shorter than the last chapter, but another filler. The next chapter should be longer.

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Chapter 19  
"E-excuse me?" I wasn't to sure if I heard William right.

William stopped doing the demi plet and got down on one knee. A few people turned to look at us. "Ejemmaline Marie Leon, I may not have known you for very long, but I have known you long enough to know that you are the love of my life. Jemma, will you do the honor of becoming my wife?"

By now everyone had stopped what they were doing to turn to look at us. "Yes! Say yes!" The crowd shouted. I turned to look at Madame Giry, but she was looking up at box 5. Oh my gosh, what if Erik was seeing this?

I looked over at Christine who was shaking her head and smiling wildly. Staring at her, I blurted out the unintended word, "Yes." I looked down at William with realization at what I just said. "Wa-"

William stood up and reached into his pocket. He fetched out a black velvet box, and inside, there was a silver band with a small diamond. He slipped it onto my finger and everyone cheered.

I hung my head in regret. What on earth did I just do?

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My question for you all- What do you think Erik will say later on?


	21. Chapter 20- You Don't Mean It

There are only 2 chapters left, can you believe it?! Luckily, I already have some of the sequel written! Enjoy!

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Chapter 20  
"I can't believe you are getting married!" Christine shouted. She sat on her bed where as I paced back and forth around the room.

"Yea, neither can I." I stated. I ran my hand through my mess of a hair and looked down at my ring. It was beautiful and if I had loved William, it would be the most beautiful thing in the world.

"What's wrong Boo?" I stopped pacing and turned to look at Christine.

"Christine, I don't love him."

"Then why did you say yes?"

"I…I was confused, in a daze." I looked down and began to fiddle with the ring.

"Oh my goodness." Christine sounded as if she had just realized something plain and obvious.

"What is it?"

"You don't love him because you love someone else."

I looked at Christine in a confused manor. "What are you talking about? He is the only male I speak to."

"Did you forget about the Phantom?" My jaw dropped. "You love the Phantom, I can tell."

"I do not!" I stomped my foot on the ground like a little baby.

"Jemma, you love the Phantom, I can just tell." I glared at Christine.

"Maybe just a little bit." I whispered.

I had expected Christine to jump up or do something crazy, but she didn't. "Then go get him. Forget about William and go find the man of your dreams."

"Christine, he loves you."

"I know, but I love Raoul. If he doesn't love you back, then he is a fool. Go and find him." I stared at Christine. "Go."

I smiled and walked to where the secret passage way was in our room. I felt around and finally, the portion of the wall slid back. "There's a secret passageway in our room?" Christine asked.

I laughed. "How else is he supposed to gawk over you?"

"Ewe! Go!" I laughed and walked in. "Tell me how it goes!"

"Alright!" I slid the wall back into place and walked down the halls. I held a hand over the ring as I walked. When I reached his lair, I could hear an organ playing.

"Erik!" I shouted. I ran into his lair from behind the white curtain but stopped short at seeing something I thought I would never see. Ripped music sheets decorated the ground, candelabras we knocked over, the blanket from the Louis-Phillip room was in the water, and sitting at the grand organ playing a now powerful tune, was Erik.

Erik slowly turned around in the bench and looked at me. He didn't have a mask on, but I didn't mind. "Jemma." He looked down and I walked over to him.

"Erik, what's wrong?" I asked as I stood in front of him

Erik lifted his head. "Congratulations on getting engaged Jemma."

I backed up a step in shock. "Wh-what?" He knew?

"May you and William live a happy life together."

"Erik…"

He glared at me now. "Did your kiss in the graveyard even mean anything?" I was taken back. "Were you just playing around with me like a little child?"

"Erik, how could you even think that?"

"Well, let's see, you kiss me, and then the next day, you get engaged to another man." Oh my goodness. Did that kiss mean something to him? Tears began to spill out of my eyes.

"Erik, I kissed you because I love you!"

"Well you sure have a funny way of showing love!" Erik stood up and towered over me.

"I was confused today alright? Besides, you love Christine." Erik's shoulders fell and he walked behind me and over to the table where he kept his drawings. He just…stood there. "You only love Christine and you never saw that I was always here for you! Me! Not Christine! I love you Erik, but you never saw a thing!"

"Jemma, I couldn't love you."

"Because you have Christine right? Well she is engaged to Raoul and there is nothing you can do about it. You had your chance with both of us and well, now I'm engaged as well.

Erik stormed back over to me and gripped my shoulders tightly with his bare hands. "I never tried because no one could ever love this!" He pointed at his deformed half of his face.

"I could Erik, but you never gave me the chance. You expect people to see you for you when you never give anyone the chance to see what is under the mask." I stood on my toes and kissed a tear away on his right side where his mask usually is.

"You don't mean it."

"I do mean it."

Erik shook his head. He then leaned in and kissed me! I kissed him back but then he pulled away. "Enjoy life with your new fiancé." Erik walked into the Louis-Phillip room, leaving me standing there, branded a fool. What just happened?

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So here is my question for you all- Could you take a look at my page and take part in the poll?


	22. Chapter 21- Don Juan Triumphant

So after this there is only one more chapter! AH! Remember to take a look at the poll on my profile!

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Chapter 21  
It was the night of Erik's opera, and all I could think about was how much trouble the small ring on my finger had gotten me into. I mean, I'm engaged, I professed my love for Erik, and Erik kissed me! Ah! I shook my head.

"Are you ready babe?" William asked as he wrapped his arms around my stomach from behind me.

"Yes." We were going to be going on to the stage. I was wearing a black corset with a wavy skirt. The front of my hair had a poof to it, and the back was in a high bun with roses in my hair.

"Here the sire may serve the dam,  
Here the master takes his meat!  
Here the sacrificial lamb  
Utters one despairing bleat!" The chorus sang. I sighed and hung my head just thinking of Erik.

"Poor young maiden! For the thrill  
On your tongue of stolen sweets  
You will have to pay the bill -  
Tangled in the winding sheets!" Carlotta sang her part. I looked out to see her jumping around and singing. She sounded worse than usual. Probably because she was nervous, everyone was nervous, for this is the Phantom of the Opera's opera.

"Serve the meal and serve the maid!" Everyone but Carlotta sang.

"Serve the meal and serve the maid!" Carlotta echoed them.

Then, everyone sang. "Serve the master so that, when  
Tables, plans and maids are laid,  
Don Juan triumphs once again!" Carlotta and her crew stepped aside and slowly made their way off stage. Then, Meg and the two women who have been flirting with Monsieurs Andre and Firmin stepped out. Meg from behind some curtains. And the women from under the staircase. Piangi following Meg.

Ubaldo, or Don Juan tossed Meg what looked like a sack of coins. Meg and the two ladies began to dance. Carlotta came back on stage and began to dance as well. "Passarino, faithful friend,  
Once again recite the plan." Don Juan sang.

A man who stood next to him and looked kind of like him then sang, "Your young guest believes I'm you -  
I, the master, you, the man  
When you met you wore my cloak,  
She cannot see your face.  
She believes she dines with me,  
In her master's borrowed place!"

Then, Ubaldo began to sing again. "Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff,  
Stealing what, in truth, is mine.  
When it's late and modesty  
Starts to mellow, with the wine…"

The look alike then sang again. "You come home! I use your voice -  
Slam the door like crack of doom!"

"I shall say: "come - hide with me!  
Where, oh, where? Of course - my room!" Piangi sang.

"Poor thing hasn't got a chance!" The other fat man said in a sing song voice.

"Here's my hat, my cloak and sword.  
Conquest is assured,  
If I do not forget myself and laugh…" Don Juan finished his part, and his midget of a friend began to laugh.

Ubaldo walked off stage behind the curtains and I looked straight ahead at Christine. "No thoughts  
Within her head  
But thoughts of joy!  
No dreams  
Within her heart  
But dreams of love!" Christine sang the last note and held it like an angel. She sat down and began to fiddle with some roses in her basket. I then looked up at Raoul who looked very worried for Christine. Man did I hate that man, but he did treat Christine like a lady.

"Master?" The look alike asked. I looked over at the curtains and out stepped Don Juan. My eyes grew wide when I saw Erik instead of Ubaldo! I could tell it was Erik because I would recognize those bright blue eyes anywhere. Also, he is tall and built where as Piangi is short and fat.

"Passarino." Erik calmly spoke, a good portion of his face hidden behind the cape that he held up. "Go away!  
For the trap is set  
And waits for its prey…" Erik's mesmerizing voice filled the entire Opera House. The look alike and the midget hurried off stage.

"Come on Jemma." William urged me onto the stage and we began to do our dance moves. When ever I could, I would cast a glance at Erik and Christine.

"You have come here  
In pursuit of your deepest urge,  
In pursuit of that wish,  
Which till now has been silent,  
Silent…" Erik walked around the fake bonfire and Christine craned her head to look at him. By the look in her eyes, she knew that it was Erik. Erik held a finger to his lips and then continued singing. I think he was signaling for Christine to be hushed.

After Erik had finished singing, Christine had begun to sing. "You have brought me  
To that moment when words run dry  
To that moment when speech disappears  
Into silence  
Silence…" Looking up, the managers were freaking out and Raoul had just nodded to a guard. Raoul signaled for the managers to calm down, so Andre sat back down.

After a while of singing, they began to walk of the winding stairs, each of them on a different side. "When will the blood begin to race  
The sleeping bud burst into bloom  
When will the flames at last consume us?" Wait, that was the line that I had written for Erik!

"We've passed the point of no return." Erik and Christine both sang. I couldn't see much from where I was, but I tried. I leaned my head back as William kissed all up my arm.

The Opera Populaire was hushed, and still I couldn't make out the silent words that Erik sang to Christine. "Anywhere you go let me go to, Christine, that's all I ask of-"

Screams echoed all throughout the Opera House, and faces were mortified. I knew that Christine had done the one thing that she shouldn't have. She took off Erik's mask. Guards rushed to the stage, and audience members tried to shield their eyes from Erik's deformity. Erik, I couldn't even begin to imagine what he must be feeling right now. The love of his life has just betrayed him!

I broke free from William and ran to a spot on the stage where I could have a good view of what was going on. Erik's face at first held a look of all the sadness in the world. Then, his expression changed to one of pain, then anger. He pulled out his sword, and with a grunt, sliced a red rope in half. He held Christine close to him, and I couldn't help but to feel…jealous. I shook my head and returned back to the scene.

The grand chandelier began to fall from the ceiling, causing everyone to freak out. People ran in all directions as to get to safety. For Erik and Christine, they fell from the bridge and went through the fake little fire just as a real one engulfed the Opera house, my home.

Actors ran off stage, but as for me? I stood there, staring at the mess. "Jemma! Let's go!" William shouted, tugging at my arm.

"No, I cant." I stared at down at where Erik and Christine had just jumped.

"You have to! I don't want you to die!" I turned to William and smiled.

"William, please just go to safety. I will do my best to return to you." With that, I jumped down the opening in the ground.

"Jemma!" I heard my fiancé shout. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that wherever this drop led to, I would end up with the ACTUAL love of my life and my best friend. I needed to save Christine before Erik did anything stupid with Christine.

* * *

My question- What do you think the next and last chapter will be about?


	23. Chapter 22- And Then The Music Ended

This is it guys, the final chapter. Remember, if you like this, vote for what I should write next on my profile page. I will collect the votes on June 15th!

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Chapter 22  
I ran through the twisted catacombs. In all honesty, I didn't really know where I was going, I was just running where my gut told me to run. All that I could think about was Christine and Erik. Would Christine be safe? Would Erik hurt her?

"Track down this murderer  
He must be found!  
Track down this murderer  
He must be found!" I was assuming that an angry mob was coming to get Erik, so I quickened my pace.

I finally came to a halting stop. "Shit!" I shouted. I didn't care if I was being unladylike at this time. I was at the river and of course, there was no boat. I sighed heavily and l ran into the water. I ran and ran as fast as I could.

"Hounded out by everyone  
Met with hatred everywhere  
No kind words from anyone  
No compassion anywhere" I could hear Erik shouting and I took that as a sign that I was getting closer to the lair.

As fast as my legs could carry me in the water, I ran. Finally, I stopped. "Jemma!" Christine shouted. I stood at the bared gate.

"Christine!" I turned my attention to Erik, my eyes filled with hurt. Erik sighed and looked down as he pulled a lever to let me in, then quickly shut it. I ran through the water and embraced Christine in a huge hug.

"It's alright Christine, your alright." I spoke in a soothing voice.

"Let her go Jemma." Erik demanded. I backed up and turned to look at Erik. He held out the wedding dress that I guess he got from the creepy mannequin Christine had told me about so many moons ago. "Help her put the dress on."

I sadly nodded my head and walked Christine into the Louis-Phillip room. "He scares me Jemma."

"He is only broken."

"Broken or not, he still set fire to my home, to our home. Don't you care?" Christine's words stung me. I helped her get out of her costume.

"I care Christine, but sometimes love rules over every other emotion." I took a step back as Christine pulled the white corset on. I then stepped forward and laced her back up.

"You are saying that you still love that man? After all he is done?"

I shrugged even though Christine's back was to me. "What can I say Christine? Sometimes love makes you crazy."

Christine turned back to me. "You know Jemma, I think that you are just crazy for love! I mean, you said yes to a man who proposed to you and you don't even love him! Now, you say you are in love with the phantom? A killer? You are the crazy one here!"

I was taken back by Christine's words. I shut my mouth and finished helping her. "Go." I said. Christine did as I said and walked out into the main cavern.

"Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood?  
Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?" I thought at first that Christine had lost her heart, but then I realized after those words that she was just a bit frazzled.

"That fate, which condemns me to wallow in blood  
Has also denied me the joys of the flesh…  
This face, the infection which poisons our love..." Erik paused. The 2 seconds of silence was killing me, but Erik's next words killed me even more.

"This face, which earned a mother's fear and loathing  
A mask, my first  
Unfeeling scrap of clothing  
Pity comes too late  
Turn around and face your fate  
An eternity of this before your eyes"

"Gosh damn it!" I silently cursed. Why couldn't Erik see that I was here for him? I always have been! I sat in a chair in a corner and let my head fall into my hands.

"This haunted face holds no horror for me now  
It's in your soul that the true distortion lies" Oh so now Christine decides to have a change of heart!

"Wait!  
I think, my dear,  
We have a guest  
Sir!" My head shot up. Someone, a male, was here.

"Raoul!" Christine shouted! I jumped out of the chair and ran out the where all of the commotion was. Raoul stood at the gate, soaking wet and I couldn't help but giggle. Wait! This is no time for laughing! Even if the situation with Raoul is funny.

"This is indeed an unparalleled delight  
I had rather hoped that you would come  
And now my wish comes true  
You have truly made my night!"

"Let me go!" Christine shouted. I wanted to do something, but for some reason, I didn't. Something in me told me to keep my place near the grand organ.

"Free her  
Do what you like,  
Only free her  
Have you no pity?" Raoul's face was pressed against the gate and I actually kind of felt bad for him. Christine struggled and at last broke free of Erik's grasp. But was still by his side.

"Your lover makes a passionate plea." Erik said to Christine.

"Please, Raoul, it's useless." Christine told her lover. Still he kept at it.

"I love her  
Does that mean nothing?  
I love her  
Show some compassion."

"The world showed no compassion to me!" My heart broke at that.

After pleading, Raoul was allowed through the gates to see Christine. Before he could get on to the land though, Erik picked up a Punjab lasso and swung it around Raoul's neck! Both Christine and I gasped. Erik tied him to the gate, all the while singing.

"Order your fine horses now  
Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes  
Nothing can save you now,  
Except perhaps Christine  
Start a new life with me  
Buy his freedom with your love!  
Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death!" Erik was scaring poor Christine half to death! Why I didn't step in, I don't know. I think I was to caught up in the sight to do anything. That or I knew that Erik wouldn't never kill Raoul. He is the one Christine loves and it would break her heart.

"This is the choice  
This is the point of no return!" The point of no return. Like from his Opera!

Christine looked conflicted. "The tears I might have shed  
For your dark fate  
Grow cold  
And turn to tears of hate."

Then, everyone began to sing. It was like a whole ensemble! I could follow along with what anyone was saying.

"You've passed the point of no return!" Erik finished with.

"You try my patients, make your choice!" He yelled, pulling the rope around Raoul's neck even tighter.

I looked over at Christine and I could tell that she was having a self conflict within her head as tears spilled from her eyes. 'I love you.' She mouthed to Raoul. AW!

"Pitiful creature of darkness,  
What kind of life have you known?" Christine walked into the water. Her dress began to float and all eyes were on Christine. I clenched my fists.

"God give me courage to show you,  
You are not alone…" Christine slipped a purple ring onto her finger and kissed Erik. It took all that I had in me not to shout or pry them off of each other. I looked down at my hand. I was already engaged. I stomped my foot lightly.

All was silent for the few moments that Christine had kissed erik. Then the silence was replaced with the sound of someone crying. I looked up and saw tears dripping from Erik's eyes. Why? He has the love of his life with him now.

"Track down this murderer, he must be found!" The mob sounded closer than before.

Erik backed away from Christine. "Take her, forget me, forget all of this…" Erik demanded of Raoul.

"Hunt out this animal, who runs to ground!" The mob was getting closer!

"Leave me alone - forget all you've seen…" Erik walked up onto the land. Uh-Oh! He was getting closer to me! I stood straight up and watched as Christine untied Raoul and they hugged.

"Go now - don't let them find you! Take the boat, swear to me, never to tell, the secret you know, of the angel in hell!" Erik was near the organ and I just silently inched closer to the room.

I stood against the wall. "Go now - go now and leave me!"

"Jemma!" Christine yelled. "Come on!"

I shook my head. "I will be right there!" Christine sighed and began to ready the boat with Raoul. I on the other hand followed Erik into the Louis-Phillip room. Erik sat down against the swan bed and I sat next to him.

"Go Jemma." Erik said sadly.

I shook my head. "No."

"Jem-"

"I don't want to leave you Erik! Have I not made it clear enough that I love you with all that I have?" I shouted in his face. I knew that I was engaged but I needed to feel my lips against his if it was the last thing I did. I leaned in and kissed Erik. Sparks electrified my body as they always did when I kissed Erik. This time, Erik kissed me back.

When we pulled away, Erik looked at me with sad eyes. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"See what?"

"Why didn't I see that you were always here for me? You were right, Christine loves Raoul. Now I guess its to late to be with you though." Erik held my hand and rubbed the ring.

"I can break it off Erik! I love you!"

"No, no! You already made a commitment, and you are going to stick by it. So help me Jemma, if I could go back in time and realize your love for me from day one, I would. I can't though." Erik shook his head.

Tears began to pour down my face. "No no Erik, I can leave him!"

"But he loves you Jemma!" I sighed. Erik wasn't going to let me leave William.

"But-"

"Trust me Jemma, I know that we will meet again someday, somehow. We will meet and then we can start over. I can make the first move and I can kiss you. I don't ever want to leave you Jemma, but the time has come, and the time will come again." I stared at Erik with wide eyes. "Go now, please."

I stood up and spoke through tears. "Wherever I go Erik, I promise that you will be in my heart." I turned my back on the love of my life and walked away. I walked down to the boat.

"I will be right back." Christine said. Christine walked away, leaving me alone with Raoul.

"So um…did you um…know the phantom well?" Raoul asked as he stood, holding the oar.

I nodded. "You could say that."

"You do know that you should be reported to the police." My eyes widened. "But I'm not going to do that. I judged you wrong Jemma. At no point did you try to steal the spotlight from Christine."

"Christine is my friend."

"And she is my lover."

We both nodded our heads as Christine stepped into the boat. "L-lets just go." Christine said. I sat down as Christine stood next to Raoul.

Looking back I could see Erik and his sad figure made me just burst into tears. I had to look away, or else I would swim back to erik and he didn't want that of me.

When we reached the surface through the mirror, the fire had been tamed and 2 police men led us outside. Blankets were tossed around us and we were ushered to safety.

"Jemma!" William yelled. He embraced me in a warm hug, but I wasn't all there. I was still staring off into the distance at the Opera House. "We can find a place together, don't worry."

I pulled away from the hug lightly and walked over to Christine. "Christine."

"Jemma." We hugged each other.

"What is to happen to him? Will he live?" Christine backed up and looked at me.

"I would like to say that he will be fine, but in all honestly, I don't know. All we can do is pray." I nodded. "Raoul is going to be taking me to his place and we will live there. Where will you go?"

I looked over at William who was looking at me lovingly. "William and I will most likely stay at an inn for a few days until we find a place."

"Alright, I want to stay in contact, so meet me in the park tomorrow at noon alright?" Christine smiled, trying to make me smile.

"Alright." I smiled back at her even though it was a fake smile.

I glanced back at the opera house as William came to lead me away. I guess that this was the end of Erik, the end of the Phantom. He had told me that we would meet again someday, but until that day comes, I will only be living on a strand of life and only my memories will comfort me at night. Erik will forever be in my heart.

* * *

So...what did you all think? Was it sad, happy, good, bad? Let me know! Thank you all for your support on this story, it means a lot! Remember to vote for what I should write next on my page please! And leave a comment! Have a nice day!


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